Touring issues travel advisory

25 May 2007

BRUSSELS – Motorists’ association Touring expects major traffic problems in Belgium over the upcoming holiday weekend.

The roads headed to the coast and the Ardennes will be particularly congested. There will also be problems at the border crossings because of a road ban in effect for tractor trailers in Luxembourg, France and Germany, Touring said in a press release on Thursday.

Touring is advising drivers to leave for their holidays either early in the afternoon on Friday or after 8 pm. Those leaving on Saturday should leave either before 9 am or early in the afternoon. The returning traffic will be busiest late in the afternoon on Monday and in the evening.

The bottlenecks in Belgium are the E40 from Brussels to Ostend, the N49/E34 from Antwerp to Knokke and the E411 between Brussels, Namur and Luxembourg.

Touring also advises motorists to take into account the road works on the E411 between Delta and the Hermann-Debroux viaduct (the Namur-bound motorway will be entirely closed off) and near Custinne. Those heading for the Ardennes and wanting to avoid the E411 should take the N4 from Courrière.

The road ban in effect for tractor trailers in Luxembourg, France and Germany during the holiday weekend could cause major traffic problems at the border crossings Rekkem (on the E17 between Gent-Kortrijk-Paris), Hensies (on the E19 Bergen-Paris) and Sterpenich (on the E411 Namur-Luxembourg).

Elsewhere in Europe Touring expects the worse congestion to be in France and Germany on Friday and Saturday.

Subject: Belgian news