Brussels – Work has commenced on the Heysel tunnel that will link Brussels Expo to Parking C. Approved in 2023, the tunnel currently serves fairs, but future permits may transform it into a public road, reports 24brussels.
As VRT News reported, construction began on a tunnel beneath the Romanesque Road at the Heysel plateau. This tunnel aims to connect the Heysel Palaces with Parking C and the Ring Road, a project that has been under discussion for over a decade.
Brussels Expo, which oversees the Palaces, initiated the project to facilitate truck access for loading and unloading during events. Additionally, shuttle buses could transport visitors between the Palaces and Parking C.
Future of the Heysel Tunnel: Public Road Possibility
The project now forms part of the extensive Neo redevelopment at the Heysel site. This large initiative, involving the City of Brussels and the Brussels Region, encompasses a shopping center, leisure facilities, residential areas, childcare services, and a retirement home.
Authorities emphasize that the tunnel is crucial for the accessibility of Neo without increasing traffic on local roads. They noted that planning approval for the Neo project hinges on this road connection, which has faced numerous delays due to political, legal, and funding complications.
Within the Flemish GRUP, the regional spatial plan for the Ring Road redevelopment, the connecting road is currently designated as a public road. This designation was fully ratified last year. According to Marin Struyf, spokesperson for De Werkvennootschap, the agency overseeing major works on the Ring, the situation is complex. The existing permit restricts the road’s use to logistics and shuttle buses during events at Brussels Expo.
Struyf elaborated that while the GRUP provides a framework, each element of the redevelopment requires its own processing. The areas at Parking C and Wemmel have not yet been addressed, meaning the plan allows for broader usage but does not guarantee it.
“Flanders also wants to make it a public road,”
says Kestemont.
“All Flemish and Brussels stakeholders now agree on the principle of openness.”
Officials indicate that if the road is to transition into a public route, new permits will be necessary. This conversion from an event-specific road to a public thoroughfare would demand fresh legal and environmental assessments.
Furthermore, Flanders plans to reconfigure the road system around Parking C as part of its Ring Road project, which entails relocating the existing on- and off-ramp 7A. Such changes will necessitate detailed planning, public consultation, and additional approvals.
Currently, the construction of the connecting road is proceeding under the existing permit, which restricts its operation to events at Brussels Expo. The future status of the link as a permanent public road depends on subsequent political decisions and the results of the broader reorganization of the Ring Road.
In 2015, Brussels Expo applied for a permit for the construction of a connecting road linking the Heysel Palaces to Parking C, allowing access to the Ring Road. Due to its crossing of two regions, both Brussels and Flanders had to grant approval.
The Brussels Region issued its permit in 2016, but the Flemish segment of the project faced years of delays. Objections in the Flemish jurisdiction, which encompasses the outer section of the Romeinensteenweg and Parking C, incited a prolonged legal conflict.
On June 26, 2023, the Flemish government granted approval, albeit with restrictions: the road could only be utilized during events at Brussels Expo to prevent additional traffic pressures in nearby Flemish municipalities.
Currently, the works are being conducted by Neo, the consortium managing the Heysel site’s redevelopment. A tunnel is being excavated beneath the Romanesque Road, with the Flemish section toward Parking C under development.
According to Neo lawyer Bernice Kestemont, construction is expected to continue until August 2026. Upon completion, the connecting road will accommodate visitors and trucks during events at Brussels Expo. The potential for the road to be opened for broader use will ultimately rely on future political discussions.
“Brussels Expo is currently practically the only user of the Heysel Plateau,”
says Kestemont.