The Belliard tunnel under the European Quarter was closed for several hours due to a faulty ventilation system on Monday morning. However, the technical incident has been resolved and the tunnel has reopened to all traffic.
Both entrances of one of Brussels' most important tunnels, the Belliard tunnel, were completely closed off to traffic most of Monday morning. The tunnel was closed due to problems with the ventilation system, Bruzz reported.
"Ventilation is crucial for safety in the tunnel, especially in case of smoke developing," said Brussels Mobility spokesperson, Inge Paemen. "The system must function properly to ventilate the smoke effectively."
#TunnelBru, vanwege een technisch incident is de Belliardtunnel richting E40/Tervuren afgesloten voor het verkeer.
— Verkeersinfo Brussel Mobiliteit (@MobirisNL) January 20, 2025
Translation: "Due to a technical incident the Belliard tunnel towards E40/Tervuren is closed to traffic."
The main entrance on Rue Belliard was closed to traffic at around 08:30. The alternative tunnel entrance on Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée remained open slightly longer, but also closed at 09:50.
As a result, traffic is at a standstill in various areas around the region. Near the metro station Maelbeek, traffic jams are forming or cars are moving slowly. Traffic on the Small Ring Road in both directions is also busier than usual, as is the Cinquantenaire-Rue de la Loi-Centre axis.
At 12:30, the region's traffic service Mobiris confirmed that the technical incident was resolved. "The Belliard tunnel has reopened to all traffic," it noted.
