Most of the new noise barriers have been placed along the E40 motorway near Bertem, Flemish Brabant, in the direction of Brussels, the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic said on Friday in a press release. Traffic can resume normally from Sunday 2 October.
All the old panels, which had become obsolete, had to be replaced. The new ones are between 3.5 and 5 metres high, a metre and a half higher than the previous ones, and cover a greater distance - about 300 metres. They now stop at the ramp leading to the E314.
Replacement work began in August and ends on Friday. From Sunday, most of the temporary signs will be removed and traffic will be able to return to normal on this part of the motorway, the lanes having been narrowed during the duration of the works.
Signs still have to be installed on the last 200 metres of the section, but this will be done behind a row of trees, and will therefore have no impact on traffic, the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic said. Construction should be fully completed by mid-October.
In total, some 700 metres of anti-noise panels will have been installed, as well as new trees and plants on the approaches to the motorway. Everything should be planted in the Fall or by Spring 2023.
The installation of the panels was financed by the Flemish government (just over €1 million) and the municipality of Bertem (€150,000).
