BRUSSELS — The section of the ring road around Brussels that subsided on Thursday morning was repaired later in the day, but not before long traffic delays were recorded.

A large hole opened up the connecting ramp between the ring road and the E19 motorway in Vilvoorde. Long traffic delays were being reported from 8.30am.

Authorities made temporary repairs and the road was completely reopened at 2pm.

But traffic delays were still being reported on Thursday afternoon after the massive traffic jams witnessed in the morning peak-hour period.
 
Work to permanently repair the damaged section of road will start at 9pm on Thursday, newspaper ‘De Standaard’ reported.

The subsidence is believed to be due to the heavy thunderstorms that raged across the country on Wednesday.

The problems probably started with a tear in the road surface and heavy trucks would have then lodged the asphalt loose.

A hold 1sq m in size opened up near the Vilvoorde viaduct.
 
Authorities were forced to close two lanes of the motorway, leading to 80km in traffic jams on all entry roads into Brussels.

It was especially bad on the ring road on the Groot-Bijgaarden-bound lanes from the Leeuw van Waterloo.

A longer than normal traffic jam was reported on the inside lanes as people slowed down to look at the repair work. That led to traffic delays on the E40 Ghent-Brussels motorway.

Traffic delays were also being reported in Aalst.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news