It’s been months since some areas of Brussels are being remodelled or under construction. Here’s a look at some of these sites.
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Some of these construction sites are quite recent, while others have been ongoing for years. After many researches, here are some of the most annoying construction sites we’ve crossed.
Roodebeek: the boulevard de la Woluwe has been entirely renovated. For this, the traffic has been cut in various specific points, and sidewalks have been demolished. The end goal is the extension of the Tram 94 all the way to Roodebeek. These works have been ongoing for about two years now, creating quite a lot of traffic issues, as well as lifting a lot of dust, making the locals unhappy. Authorities say the works should be completed by the end of 2018.
Not too far from the metro stop of De Brouckère, an old building called “Parking 58” and used as a parking is being demolished, near the place Sainte-Catherine. This building, once demolished, will leave the space for a new administrative centre for the City of Brussels. It will be named Brucity and will be able to host 1500 employees and 600 parking spots. In the old parking, 580 cars could be parked. The construction works should be finished by 2021.
While we are talking of De Brouckère, various changes are being done on the road, converting it into a pedestrian street. The works started over a year ago and should be done by June 2018. As a remainder, both the metro stops of De Brouckère and Bourse are being renovated.
Let’s move to the European Neighbourhood. There also, various projects are ongoing. Right next to the metro station of Arts-Loi, Avenue des Arts 19H, an old office building is being teared down. In its place, new offices will be built. The website of the company in charge of the project doesn’t provide much information but does mention that the new tower will be named Quartz and that the construction works should be finished by 2020.
At Madou, right in front of one of the buildings of the European Commission, same thing, a new pedestrian area is being built.
It also looks like the Madou Centre is being renovated, even if it seems it only concerns the exterior.
A bit further, where the Selor building once was located, the demolition site has been entirely cleared, and new offices are being built. The demolition of the Selor building caused quite a lot of issues, as it was done during the night, therefore getting quite a lot of noise complaints from locals. The new building is being built by Ghelamco, and the offices tower will be named SPECTRUM. The construction works should be finished by 2019.
These are just some of the few ongoing construction projects in Brussels. True, there’s also the renovation of the Gare du Nord. Most of these projects will be ongoing for two or three years, forcing locals to adapt their programs to avoid these areas. Let’s hope these construction works won’t be delayed, as it is getting tiring to walk in the mud half the day.
