After 42 months of roadworks, the new A11 motorway between Bruges and Knokke-Heist was officially opened at around 11am on Saturday. It was opened by the Flemish mobility Minister Ben Weyts (New Flemish Alliance). It is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists up until 5pm. The motorway is expected to be ready to use on the 1st of September.
The A11 is an important part of the road network in Western Flanders. It provides a rapid connection between the N31 in Bruges and the N49 in Knokke-Heist. The aim is to separate local traffic from trade traffic coming from or going to the Zeebrugge port, to make traffic more fluid.
The double mobile bridge on the Baudouin canal was one of the main aspects of the project. The waiting time for the first vehicle here will be an average of 12 minutes. The 1 and a half km viaduct is around 15 metres tall, so that it doesn’t have to be raised every time an ordinary boat passes through.
The Flemish government has invested around 674 million euros in the 12 kilometre motorway. The project includes new cycle lanes and nine ecopassages. The work started on the 22nd March 2014.
The motorway is expected to be open to road traffic on the 1st of September. Work will continue until the end of October.
(Source: Belga)
