10 Feb '16

Another Brussels tunnel closes because of falling masonry

Summary

Damage was caused in the Pacheco tunnel when a lorry that was too high to use the tunnel scraped against the roof

 

No structural failure

Another Brussels tunnel has been closed down because of falling masonry. The Pacheco tunnel, which runs under the Kruidtuinlaan from Brussels-City into Sint-Joost, was expected to open again on Wednesday, after being closed on Tuesday.

According to Brussel Mobiliteit, the tunnel’s roof had been damaged by a vehicle. “The roof of the Pacheco tunnel was damaged by a lorry that was too high,” a spokesperson said. The problem came to light after pieces of the roof fell on a passing car at the weekend. The lorry driver reported the incident to police, but a patrol did not spot the problem.

The tunnel was closed to allow the removal of loose fragments caused by the accident. “Later a wooden roof will be installed to prevent the possible fall of further fragments,” said the spokesperson. “We will also install new signs to inform drivers of the maximum height allowed.”

The tunnel is the latest casualty on the Brussels network. The Leopold II tunnel, the longest in the country, was recently closed after falling masonry damaged a car. And the Stefania tunnel remains closed because of problems with the concrete, which Brussel Mobiliteit says has been weakened by years of infiltration by water containing road salt.

Photo: Laurie Dieffembacq/BELGA

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Thousands of commuters and foreigners pass through Brussels and Flanders each day, and the two regions have suffered from heavily congested traffic and long and frequent traffic jams for years – with no end seemingly in sight.
Record - According to the 2013 report from traffic information platform Inrix, Brussels and Antwerp have the most traffic congestion of any city in Europe and North America.
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