What's happening in Eastern Brussels?

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B1018 A120 M11
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Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 09:41
Location: Cambridge

What's happening in Eastern Brussels?

Post by B1018 A120 M11 »

Sort of following on loosely from the Calais to Maastricht thread, where we were discussing the best routes through Belgium that completely avoid Brussels and Antwerp... slightly ironically it now seems a strong possibility that I may have to visit (and thus drive into) Brussels, and then head out the other side to the east afterwards. And when I started looking into that, it seems that there's some kind of massive redevelopment happening in Schaerbeek, eastern Brussels, near to where the A3 comes into the city (or begins on its way out of Brussels eastbound, depending on your direction of travel). From looking at Google Streetview images of the Diamant/Reyers interchange, which I had planned to pass through, I can see that some kind of massive urban viaduct has been demolished there, and there would appear to be all sorts of rapidly changing temporary traffic diversions and limitations on flows which I imagine will very much affect my potential journey.

My French and Dutch are rusty and were never the best to begin with, but from what I can glean on-line (possibly inaccurately), the area right next to where the A3 runs out near Diamant is being totally redeveloped as some sort of Media City broadcasting complex, and the opportunity is being taken to regenerate the area in a way similar to what TFL is doing in various places in London — introducing more green space, pedestrian-only areas, pelican crossings and cycling-orientated opportunities and infrastructure. I'd be interested to know from anyone on here that has a clearer sense of what the project is all about (are there any Brussels-dwelling Belgian Sabristes/Zabristeeren, or frequent visitors to the city?). Most of all, though, I'd love to know whether anyone knows what the current state of play is for cars at Diamant. I was planning to come from Avenue de Roodebeek eastbound and go straight across Diamant to join the A3 via the sliproad on the eastern side of the interchange... but although it looks as though that would have been a cinch a couple of years ago, it seems it's probably now a 'removed movement' at that junction. It certainly looks as though the reverse movement might be impossible at the moment: Google Maps won't route a direct return across Diamant westbound from the A3 and suggests a variety of lengthy and complex diversions instead, which is often (but not always reliably) a sign that roadworks are currently making that movement impossible.

The other thing is: I got the sense that this is a multi-year-long project of redevelopment (possibly not concluding until 2022??), so maybe movements that were closed/banned last year, or at the time of the last set of Google Streetview images, might now once again be possible (or have been banned, made possible again and then been banned again, etc etc), so any input from someone who knows the junction as it is at the moment would be really great. Although I appreciate that's a big (and possibly unfulfillable) ask on here...! There are all sorts of stories from local papers on-line about diversions, but many of them date from early 2018 when it looks like the works started in earnest, and I think the chances are that the situation on the ground is very different now...
Calling at Wickham Bishops, Langford & Ulting, Maldon West, Barons Lane Halt, Cold Norton, Stow St Mary, and Woodham Ferrers...
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