The situation on the roads worsened by the hour throughout Monday morning. Whilst Touring Mobilis estimated some 350 kilometres of queues around 9.30 p.m., the total exceeded more than 1,000 kilometres in areas surrounding Flanders and Brussels from 10.00 p.m onwards. Touring Mobilis states, “These are not actually bottlenecks as such, but rather delays owing to the snow. These mean that drivers are moving at a reduced speed - less than 50 km per hour - on the motorways.” Brussels and Flanders are the most congested, with snowfalls being concentrated in these regions.
The Brussels Ring-road is entirely blocked, with traffic on the Flemish roads also seeming very difficult. In Wallonia, the traffic is disrupted between Brussels and Lille (France), as well as between Brussels and Mons. An accident happened on the E19 on the Brussels-Mons-Valenciennes axis at Obourg.
Several accidents have happened during the morning, particularly on the N90 between Mons and Charleroi-Namur-Liège, at Lambusart in the Namur direction. A broken-down vehicle on the Antwerp Ring-road, in the Brussels direction, is making movement on the road difficult.
The snowfalls may also lead to airport delays at Brussels Airport. The runways for both take-off and landing, as well as the roads on and around the airport, must be cleared of snow. The aeroplanes must be de-iced. The airport is thus inviting passengers to consult flight information on the Brussels Airport website, or to contact their airline directly. Travellers must also be careful in getting to the airport, the roads being highly congested.
The Brussels Times
