Slow vehicles, including agricultural convoys, will no longer be allowed to use the National Road 25 (RN25), following an announcement by the Walloon Minister for Road Safety.
Carlo Di Antonio confirmed in a statement on Thursday, that the "automobile road" status of the entire National Road 25 (RN25) will be restored.
To enable farmers to finish the beet season, this measure will take force on 1 January 2020. Special convoys can always use the RN25 only via specific authorization.
Accompanying measures are also planned, the minister said, such as the strengthening and rehabilitation of the N237 at Court-Saint-Etienne, and partial redevelopment of Way street parking in Genappe. Furthermore, a radar will be installed on the RN25 near Bousval to secure the stretch between Court-Saint-Etienne and Ways. This device will also be activated on 1 January 2020.
The announcement by Minister Di Antonio to prohibit agricultural vehicles on the RN25 two years ago had caused an uproar from the farming world in Walloon Brabant as well as from the mayors of communes which this important roadway passes through.
"The volume of very high traffic, the presence of slow vehicles and the differential speed issue between these slower vehicles and others combine to make the RN25 the most accident-prone road in a sector of coexistence of agricultural tractors and cars: four times the number of accidents than on other similar roads," the minister replied.
He also stated that other options were considered, such as the use of emergency strips and lowering the speed limit to 90 km/h but they were not a solution for the road safety issue.
The Brussels Times
Credit: Belga
