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🇧🇪 Belgium /Energy & Infrastructure

R4 West in Ghent Closed Overnight for Railway Bridge Replacement

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The R4 West highway near Ghent, Belgium, will be closed overnight from Friday to Saturday for the replacement of an aging railway bridge.
  • The new bridge will be twice as long and wide as the old one, allowing for potential future expansion of the railway line.
  • The closure will also halt train traffic between Ghent and Eeklo from July 3 to July 7, with replacement buses provided by NMBS.

The R4 West highway in Wondelgem, near Ghent, Belgium, will undergo a significant overnight closure from Friday to Saturday. The disruption is necessary for the complex operation of replacing an old railway bridge with a new, larger structure. This work is part of a larger project to redevelop the ring road connecting Ghent and its port.

The replacement of the bridge will be a complex operation.

— Marijn StruyfDe Werkvennootschap, describing the upcoming railway bridge replacement.

Marijn Struyf of De Werkvennootschap described the bridge replacement as a "difficult operation." The existing bridge is severely outdated and in poor condition. The new bridge will be double its length and width, a design that accommodates the potential for a second railway line in the future. This upgrade is crucial for modernizing the region's infrastructure.

The bridge is very outdated and in poor condition. The new bridge is twice as long and wide, allowing for the possible construction of a 2nd railway line in the future.

— Marijn StruyfDe Werkvennootschap, explaining the necessity and benefits of the new railway bridge.

Beyond the immediate highway closure, the project will impact train services. There will be no train traffic between Ghent and Eeklo from July 3 to July 7. The Belgian National Railway Company (NMBS) will deploy replacement buses to mitigate the disruption for passengers during this period.

So cyclists get a safe and conflict-free crossing over the R4, while waiting for the definitive bicycle bridge that will be built in 2027.

— Marijn StruyfDe Werkvennootschap, explaining the temporary use of the new railway bridge as a bicycle path.

Additionally, starting July 13, the new bridge will temporarily serve as a bicycle bridge. This measure aims to provide cyclists with a safe, conflict-free crossing over the R4 while a permanent bicycle bridge is constructed in 2027. The R4 in Wondelgem will be closed from Friday, July 3, at 10 p.m. until Saturday, July 4, at 12 p.m. Traffic between Ghent and Zelzate will be rerouted via R4 Oost. Struyf anticipates that the inconvenience will be limited due to the work occurring over the weekend, with clear diversions in place.

I suspect it will all turn out fine, as we are working during the weekend. It remains a busy road, of course, but we are trying to indicate all diversions clearly.

— Marijn StruyfDe Werkvennootschap, expressing optimism about managing traffic disruption during the weekend works.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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