ANTWERP | Murals in Voetgangerstunnel repainted

The frescoes or murals halfway St. Anne’s Pedestrian Tunnel have been repainted. “Here you are halfway”, one mural says. The other shows sea god Neptune and two mermaids

In 2024 six tunnels link Antwerp‘s Right Bank of the Scheldt to the Left Bank (Linkeroever) of the river. One hundred years ago, there were zero. You crossed the river by ferry.

Officially called St. Anne’s Tunnel (Sint-Annatunnel), it is widely known as the Pedestrian Tunnel (Voetgangerstunnel). Built from 1931, in 1933 some advertising murals were painted. Now two have been restored.

The St. Anne’s Tunnel

Construction of the Sint-Anna tunnel started in 1931 and the tunnel was opened in 1933.

This 572 meter long tunnel, which is located 31.57 meters underground. Both sides have a lift for forty people or a maximum of 3000 kg, and two authentic wooden escalators. These escalators were a real novelty for that time. The external diameter of the tunnel is 4.74 m, the internal diameter is 4.30 m. The two entrance buildings were designed by Emiel Van Averbeke.

Because there are recurring defects or interruptions at these escalators, or further down at the Kennedy bicycle tunnel or the St. Anne’s Ferry road manager Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer has a website and since 2020 a smartphone app, where one can view the current and planned accessibility of these three bicycle and pedestrian connections.

There are no separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. Cyclists must ride through the tunnel at walking pace (maximum 5 km per hour), but often drive faster. Moped riders are allowed to pass through the tunnel, but they must carry the moped without the engine running. A rule which is widely ignored.

History

Before the construction of the tunnel, there were two ferries: the Sint-Annekensboot and the Land van Waas / Pays de Waes (popularly known as Pietje Waas). The Sint-Annekensboot crossed the Scheldt at Het Steen.

The Land van Waas was a train boat that formed the connection between the railway stations Vlaams Hoofd (later Antwerp-West) on the Left Bank and Antwerp-Waas on the Sint-Michielskaai first near Sint-Michielsstraat and later near Scheldestraat.

There was already agreement in 1874 about a permanent river crossing. There were several plans for a bridge, but they were always rejected because it would hinder shipping. It was not until 1931 that the decision was made and a tunnel was chosen.

Predisposition

The actual horizontal tunnel was completely excavated in the Boom clay using a hand shield. The tunnel lining consists of cast iron elements with lead joints.

The interior wall was covered with ceramic wall tiles in Art Deco style, manufactured by Manufactures Ceramiques d’Hemixem, Gilliot en Cie from Hemiksem.

The cost amounted to 40 million Belgian francs, approximately EUR 21.5 million in 2022. The works started on 28 June 1931 and were completed on 14 August 1933.

Many authentic parts of the tunnel are still preserved, including: the wooden escalators, old warning signs, the two entrance halls.

The dimensions of the tunnel and the lifts were chosen in such a way that it was possible to drive through the tunnel with an ambulance or police vehicle in the event of an incident in the Waasland tunnel. Only after the completion of the Kennedy Tunnel did this function become redundant.

War damage

In 1944, the retreating German army blew up the entrance building with elevators and escalators on the left bank. The recovery took several years. Until then, travelers had to take the boat again, as the Waasland tunnel had also been made unusable.

After the war

In 1992 and 1993 the tunnel was restored and the disturbing advertising painting was removed.

Since 1995, walking pace bicycle traffic has been allowed in the tunnel. In 1997, the tunnel, the access buildings and the technical equipment including the wooden escalators were protected as a monument.

The lifts were renovated in 2022, first on the Left Bank and in January 2023 the lift on Sint-Jansvliet was put back into use. Maintenance work is planned in the coming years.