First Hector Henneaulaan bridge section placed

Why a new bridge?

The existing bridge on the Hector Henneaulaan over the Ring Road in Zaventem near the business parks was at the end of its life span and will therefore be replaced by two new steel bridges. The new bridges will have spacious cycle paths, separate bus lanes and an ecopassage for animals migrating between the green areas to the left and right of the Ring Road, in addition to lanes for cars. The main purpose of the work at Zaventem-Henneaulaan is to make connections faster and safer for cyclists and buses between the Flemish Periphery (Vlaamse Rand) and Brussels. At present, buses are stuck with cars in traffic jams and cyclists risk their lives when crossing the bridge. The new onramps and offramps that will also be added, however, already take into account the future plans for the Ring Road itself.

A construction site along the R0

The bridge sections (one bridge section measures 25 by 5.5 meters and weighs 76 tons) for the brand-new Hector Henneaulaan bridge arrived at the construction site in March. This is located right next to the Ring Road, to minimize the impact on the Ring Road itself. The bridge sections were first built in the workshop and then finished next to the motorway. Exceptional transport was used to bring the parts to the site. Watch the impressive footage below.

The next steps

The first bridge half was placed over the Ring Road on the night of June 25-26, against the old bridge. Traffic on Hector Henneaulaan will travel on the new half of the bridge from now on. The old bridge will then be demolished and replaced by the second part of the new bridge. The overall works will continue until spring 2024.

Read more about the project on the Work on the Ring Road website.

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