In the coming months, the E403 between Roeselare Rumbeke and the junction with the A19 will be thoroughly renovated. This concerns a stretch of about seven kilometers in the direction of Tournai, where the highway has three lanes. Humberto Van Nunen, West Flanders Roads and Traffic Agency: “We are renewing two layers of the road surface. At the same time, we are also replacing the concrete barrier in the middle. The crash barriers along the side of the road are also being replaced. The drainage is also being renovated, including the ditch and the water swallows, so that we once again have safety and good drainage on the E403.”
Traffic disruptions in both directions from April 3
Tomorrow the contractor will start installing concrete safety barriers. As a result, only one narrowed lane in the direction of Bruges will temporarily be available. Really major disruption is expected from next Friday, April 3, just before the Easter holidays. Then all traffic towards Kortrijk will be guided through the central reservation to the other side, with two narrowed lanes in both directions. “There is certainly a chance of traffic jams. Especially during rush hour: we expect quite a bit of inconvenience during the morning and evening rush hours. We suggest people postpone their journeys a bit, this should not be too bad during the day.”
Speed limit
A speed limit of 70 km per hour will apply on the narrowed lanes, and of 50 km per hour where you cross the central reservation. This section of the E403 or A17 opened in 1977. Not only the top but also the bottom asphalt layer is being replaced. “What many people know is that this specific stretch of highway has a special problem: the ridges that appear. That is a result of the choice of materials in the 1980s. The intention now is to get rid of those ridges. That poses a danger to motorcyclists, especially over time.”
The work should be completed by the end of June.
You can find more information here
