IkerinThe Antwerp City Council has approved the initial design for demolishing the Leugenberg Bridge in Ekeren. The old bridge will be replaced with a secure traffic connection to the A12 and Kapellen.
The bridge will be demolished within 2024, after which the Kloosterstraat will be connected directly to the entrance and exit of the A12. It is a project of the Roads and Traffic Agency (AWV) in collaboration with the city of Antwerp, the Ekeren region and the province of Antwerp.
“It’s about more than just a car project,” says Antwerp Mobility Councilman Quinn Kines (N-VA). “Anyone who knows the current Leugenberg Bridge knows that the bike path located there no longer meets contemporary standards. Demolition of the bridge means we can provide safe and comfortable bike paths, just as we are building in a wide area around central Eckeren.”
Two bike paths
Departing the Kloosterstraat from Ekeren, the new Kloosterstraat with separate two-way cycle lanes will turn left next to the existing Leugenberg Bridge. Instead of cycling on the railway, one would pass under it. In the A12 slot there is a new T-cross with lights in both directions, from Ekeren and from Hoevenen.
This direct connection will make the traffic safer. The bridge’s disappearance also creates significant space for the redesign and consultation of the neighborhood. In the first stage, the Shigen waterway will already be reopened.
Ekeren Mayor Queen Palinex (N-VA): “The demolition of the bridge to Leugenberg and the extension of the Kloosterstraat toward the A12 slot will bring significant gains to Ekeren in terms of traffic safety, cycling convenience and quality of life. We also want to fill the space on the former bridge that will become available with space 2 hectares of new park”.
In the next stage there will be an information moment for the residents and the final design will be drawn up.
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