Snow surprises salt services in Charleroi

24 January 2005

BRUSSELS – Charleroi’s roads became dicey on Monday morning after authorities failed to plan for ice and snowfall in the early hours.

Road gritting teams were slow to protect the region’s roads, starting work at about 7am in the morning when surfaces were already icy. Several salting trucks got stuck and it took up to four hours before traffic circulation returned to normal.

Wallonia’s motorway experienced problems, too, especially around the E42 bridge at Viesville.

At Chimay, gritters began work at 4am, battling against continued snowfall. It was not until 8am that the whole district was gritted and the main roads accessible.

On the E40 between Liege and Aachen, there was black ice near Barchon. Vehicles, especially lorries, ran into problems on the E25 near Chenee and Tilff near the Ardennes, as well as on the E411 at Courriere and Assesse.

Weather forecasters are predicting possible snowfall on Monday night at the coast and in the highest part of the Ardennes, with temperatures falling to minus 4 and minus 7.

Subject: Belgian news