Anthony Casteels of contractor Rinkoniên returned the large spade with which the works on the Linkeroever symbolically started in 2018 to Luc Hellemans of Lantis on Wednesday. With this, both gentlemen heralded a new milestone in the Oosterweel project. With the exception of the Scheldt tunnel, which is still under construction, the last new (highway) roads on the Left Bank and in Zwijndrecht were put into use last night.
This also includes the new exit from the Kennedy tunnel (coming from Antwerp) towards Zelzate (E34) and the Linkeroever/Zwijndrecht exit. This exit can handle a larger capacity than the temporary exit and will also be located a lot further from the tunnel, beyond the park bridge over the highway. This should give road users more time and space to take the exit safely and smoothly.
© Joris Herregods
© Joris Herregods
Parallel road
The temporary Linkeroever exit, which leads to Blancefloerlaan at the Mediahuis buildings, will disappear, as will the temporary connection to the E34. These roads will be demolished to make way for the construction of the Katwilgbos.
The two last, definitive parts of the Parallelweg were also opened last night. The capacity is increasing, although Lantis emphasizes that it can still be very busy, pending the new Scheldt tunnel and fully completed Ring Road.
An aerial photo of the highway just after the Kennedy Tunnel — © RR
Ring Park West
Anthony Casteels, project director of contractor Rinkoniên — © Joris Herregods
The works on the Left Bank were completed six months earlier than planned. “And we are very proud of that,” says Anthony Casteels, project director of contractor Rinkoniên. “These were enormous works, with 200,000 tons of asphalt and 50,000 m³ of reinforced concrete. We have moved 2 million cubic meters of earth, and another 1.5 million m³ will be added. Because now that we have finished the new highways, we are continuing to work on the large verges, kilometers of new cycle paths and we are replanting the entire area.”
This means that the construction of the first Ringpark will start: the Ringpark West. The existing nature reserves Het Rot, Blokkersdijk, Sint-Annabos, Vlietbos and Middenvijver are connected via ecoducts, streams and cycle and walking paths. The green area of no less than 500 hectares should be ready in the autumn of 2025. “It will be one of the largest parks in an urban environment,” says Luc Hellemans of Lantis.
){kind=link}