Middelkerke's Main Link to E40 Reopens After Two Years of Works

Middelkerke's vital link between the E40 highway and the town center, the Spermaliestraat, is once again fully open to traffic. The road had been closed for more than two years for significant renovation works, costing €15 million.

Kathy Vandenmeersschaut of the Agency for Roads and Traffic highlighted the project's success in creating a safe and pleasant connection. "Not only the Spermaliestraat itself, but also various side streets were addressed," she stated. Improvements include safer bicycle routes and crossings, an upgraded intersection at the Spermaliestraat with Westende and Oostendelaan, and a renovated parking area at Oudstrijdersplein.

The roadworks caused a difficult period for local residents and businesses. With the street's reopening, there is a palpable sense of relief and satisfaction. Many attended the festive opening ceremony. John Töpke, alderman for Public Works, noted that the newly renovated Spermaliestraat is his first major project to inaugurate since his party joined the majority earlier this year. "I followed all the phases from the opposition, so the project is not new to me. But the result is beautiful."

Mayor Jean-Marie Dedecker emphasized the project's timeliness, calling the Spermaliestraat a "crucial connecting road" for both inhabitants and the hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting Middelkerke. "The redevelopment could not have come a second too soon," he remarked. Dedecker also used the occasion to advocate for his long-standing proposal of a new ring road around Middelkerke, calling it the "missing link" for the town's tourism infrastructure. He indicated that construction will begin soon, pending a decision on a spatial plan that faced objections from farmers.

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De Spermaliestraat is af, maar de ringweg is de ontbrekende schakel. Die toeristische ontsluiting van onze gemeente moet er echt komen.