On National Day, which will take place this Friday, car traffic will be prohibited around the Palais Royal and the Parc de Bruxelles. This warning comes from the Brussels City-Ixelles police zone. During the morning, the area around the Cathédrale Saints Michel et Gudule will be closed to traffic, whilst a version of the Te Deum chant is sung there. In the afternoon, during the military parade which leaves from the Parc de Cinquantenaire, the European Quarter will also be affected. The Place des Palais will be closed to traffic from Thursday July 20th in evening through to the morning of Saturday July 22nd.
Around the Parc de Bruxelles, the streets stated below will be closed to traffic from 5 a.m. in the morning until the end of the festivities. These include Place Poelaert (including the Poelaert exit of the Stéphanie tunnel, which will already be closed during the night), Rue des Quatre-Bras, Rue de la Régence and the Place du Grand Sablon. Also scheduled for closure are the Rue Ernest Allard and Rue Joseph Dupont, Rue Coppens, Rue Bodenbroeck and Rue de Ruysbroeck and the Place du Petit Sablon. There will also be closures in the Place Royale, Coudenberg, the Mont des Arts, Rue Ravenstein and Rue Royale (between Rue de la Loi and the Place Royale) and Rue Ducale (between Rue de la Loi and Rue du Trône).
From 7.30 a.m. and 10 a.m., as indicated, the roads around the cathedral will be closed during the Te Deum. This includes Boulevard Pachéco, Boulevard de Berlaimont, Boulevard de L'Impératrice, Boulevard de L'Empereur, Rue de Loxum, Rue Cardinal Mercier and Cantersteen. The Saint-Lazare tunnel will be closed from 6 a.m. in the morning.
As indicated, the military parade is scheduled to take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. leaving from the Parc du Cinquantenaire. The Cinquantenaire-Loi and Reyers tunnels will be closed from 12.30 p.m in the directions going into the centre. Drivers will also be prohibited from using the following trunk roads from 12.30 p.m.: Avenue d'Auderghem (between Avenue de la Chasse and Rond-point Schuman), Avenue de Cortenbergh (between Renaissance and Rond-point Schuman), Rue Archimède, Rond-point Schuman, Rue de la Loi (including the access tunnel Joyeuse Entrée) and Rue Lambermont. Between 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., a number of trunk roads will also be closed.
These include the Place du Trône at exposed roadways (there will be no interruption within the tunnels except for the closure of the Belliard exit), Avenue des Arts and the Boulevard du Régent between Rue de la Loi and the Place du Trône (solely involving closure at exposed roadways. Also included are Rue du Luxembourg, Rue Montoyer and Rue Belliard (including the Belliard exit of the Trône tunnel and main Belliard tunnel (headed in the direction of E40/Tervuren).
The police zone advises visitors to reach the Parc de Bruxelles by train or metro.
The Brussels Times
