After the Nationalestraat was closed for two weeks due to works by De Lijn, traffic will now be hindered until June 8 by works by the city of Antwerp. “Poignant example of a lack of communication and coordination,” says Nico Volckeryck, Antwerp director of the NSZ business organization.
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Traders and local residents in Nationalestraat severely criticized De Lijn about the late communication of the works. The public transport company admitted that something had gone wrong. The disruption would last until May 13.
Only this was calculated outside the city of Antwerp. NSZ was told on Tuesday afternoon that new works will subsequently be completed in Nationalestraat. This means that the street will be interrupted between Augustijnenstraat and Franckenstraat until May 26. Afterwards, Nationalestraat will become one-way towards Groenplaats until June 8.
“This is just after the works by De Lijn have been completed,” says Volckeryck. “I can’t understand this. No one appears to be aware. And this after the important axis was blocked for two weeks by works by De Lijn. Above all, this is another poignant example of a lack of communication and coordination.”
Nico Volckeryck. — © Dirk Kerstens
It is a mystery to Volckeryck that these new works in Nationalestraat now have to take place. “How can you explain that this was not scheduled at the same time as the works of De Lijn,” says the Antwerp NSZ chairman. “We now have to hear from the district mayor that additional works will take place in the same street. This during a very busy shopping period. It is not only a slap in the face of the traders, but also of the representative retail organizations and the consumer.”
NSZ urges that these works, which are not urgent, be postponed to a less busy period. “The affected retailers must be able to prepare thoroughly for this. We now first demand consultation with the competent authorities and will take the necessary steps to that end,” says Volckeryck.
“Knew nothing”
Antwerp district mayor Paul Cordy (N-VA) also cannot laugh about the works and especially about the lack of communication by the city of Antwerp. The works involve removing the concrete. This was said to have been insufficiently hardened by the contractor during construction. The repairs are at the request of the city.
“Just like with De Lijn, we knew nothing about it,” says Cordy. “There is a logic in connecting these works, but we would have liked to have known about it in time. As a district, we could have informed traders in a timely manner and taken supporting measures to ease the pain. In addition, the district could have planned the reconstruction of the sidewalks in Nationalestraat during these works. Now all that is no longer possible because we just didn’t know.”
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