Longest bike and pedestrian bridge in Belgium inaugurated in Machelen

A new bike and pedestrian bridge was inaugurated in the Flemish municipality of Machelen, near Brussels, on Friday morning. With a length of 710 m, it’s the longest bridge of its kind in Belgium.

Work on the bridge started in December 2022, taking just under two years. The bridge directly connects the Harenweg in Zaventem with the Sint-Stevens-Woluwestraat in Machelen, spanning the busy Leopold III Avenue or A201.

Until now, cyclists and pedestrians had to cross that avenue via the Bourgetlaan and Raketstraat, which involved some potentially dangerous crossings and caused a detour of almost a kilometre. The new construction addresses these issues. It’s also a welcome investment for nearby companies.

The new structure also covers the existing tram line on the avenue. Stairs on the side of the bridge will provide a connection to the tram stops. The new bridge will furthermore form a link between the future Ring Cycle Path, the cycle path that follows the Ring road around Brussels, and the F201 cycle highway, which is also under construction.

The Flemish government has invested 11.7 million euros in the project. The bridge is part of the Work on the Ring road programme, through which the organisation De Werkvennootschap is building a total of 115 km of new cycling infrastructure along the Ring road around Brussels, representing an investment of 300 million euros. “We are working to open up the whole region properly so that cycling becomes a fully-fledged alternative to the car to get to Brussels,” said Stijn Quaghebeur, chairman of De Werkvennootschap.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Bike and pedestrian bridge with a length of 710 m between Machelen and Zaventem © BELGA PHOTO INE GILLIS & © BELGA VIDEO INE GILLIS}