City of Antwerp opting for maximum coverage of the northern Ring road

In consultation with Flanders, the City of Antwerp council decided to provide five additional roofs on the Ring, for the Ring parks Groenendaal, Lobroekdok and Het Schijn. As a result, 1.2 kilometers of extra public park space will be created on the northern ring road as part of De Grote Verbinding (The Great Connection).

The City of Antwerp and Flanders commissioned Lantis to determine the feasibility of the reserve quality of life projects of De Grote Schakel (The Great Link). The requested studies have been completed and it appears that the extra covering pieces will have a very positive additional impact on the quality of life in this zone. It was therefore decided to implement them effectively.

Five additional covers

These five projects are in addition to the 18 quality of life projects that were already decided in 2018.

Kap Groen Hart (Hood Green Heart). The northernmost covering of the R1 connects existing parks in Merksem and Luchtbal. This hood is 450 meters long and has two passerelles over the train tracks. It provides considerable quality of life benefits: reduction of green shortages at district level, reduction of noise nuisance and a slight improvement in air quality.
Extended Kap Dam (Hood Dam). An extension (50 metres) of the roof over the north-western corner mainly improves the connection within the park on both sides of the trench.
Kap Kalverwei (Hood Kalverwei). A 60-metre-wide bridging of the Ring, halfway through the trench at the Lobroekdok. This allows a network of routes within the park and anchors the shortest routes between the inner and outer sides of the Ring.
Kap Schijnvallei (Schijn Valley Hood). By covering the northern direction of the Ring here for 590 metres, noise nuisance in the Ring Park and in the adjacent residential area on Ten Eekhovelei is reduced. This roof also provides useful additional park space along the narrowest segment in the Ring Park and improves cycling connections over the remaining above-ground roads.
Extended Kap Hof Ter Lo (Hood Hof Ter Lo). An extension of 90 meters in a southerly direction has a positive effect on air quality (2.1 hectares) and sound quality (3.2 hectares). It ensures that Kap Hof Ter Lo is accessible from Borgerhout.

Alderman for Mobility Koen Kennis (N-VA): “We are proving here that mobility and quality of life go hand in hand, even more: they can reinforce each other. An accessible city is a city where it is good to live and work. In this way, we prepare Antwerp for the future.”

Maximum covering of the northern Ring road

The decision to include these reserve quality of life projects ensures a stable and secure implementation framework for the Oosterweel connection and the first phase of quality of life projects in this zone. Afterwards there is no need for additional design changes, extra quality of life projects or coverings in the R1-North project zone.

In this way, Flanders and the city of Antwerp can fulfill their commitment to maximum roofing at the Oosterweel connection. The framework of agreements between governments and citizens’ movements will then be fully honored as far as the Ring at the Oosterweel connection is concerned.

The project is then fully optimized in terms of the balance between mobility and quality of life. In summary, the implementation can take place according to the principles of the Toekomstverbond (Future Alliance), with maximum roofing.

These additional coverings provide significant additional quality of life gains, as listed above (noise, air, green shortages). From the point of view of social safety in the parks, the large circulation and connections between the different parts provide an important improvement, they strengthen the transverse connections and make the Ring forget as much as possible.

All information about The Great Connection can be found at www.degroteverbinding.be.