2023-11-23 05:29:00
Like thousands of commuter motorists, the journey to Brussels begins in the early hours. The sky is still black. Rue de la Loi, for its part, is lit up with hundreds of red lamps. Stationary vehicles waiting to rush into this infamous Little Belt. Every morning, this structuring axis of the Brussels city center experiences congestion, horns and pollution. Because driving during peak hours is often a challenge in Brussels: traffic jams are part of the daily life of thousands of motorists who are champing at the bit while waiting (in vain?) for the situation to improve. So many motorists who regularly speak out on social networks regarding the hell they experience every day.
A hell that the DH wanted to test by traveling the entire Petite Ceinture during rush hours. Here is the story of a morning journey through traffic jams, at a walking pace, around the Pentagon.
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It is 8:07 a.m. when, following a few traffic jams in Rue de la Loi, we finally enter the R20. Pleasant surprise, no big queue at this dreaded hour. We then drive towards Madou, where the embarrassments begin. Here we are, stuck in a line as far as the eye can see. On the front of the tunnel, a sign: “Heavy traffic”. Thank you for the information…
When we arrive at Place des Barricades, the traffic is reduced to a strip. Yet no construction site on the horizon, no workers. On the left, motorcycles pass us at high speed on this road to an invisible construction site.
On one lane, however, traffic is fluid. We reach an unexpected peak of 42 km/h! Arriving in Rogier, the speed is limited to 30 km/h. But it is clear that no one respects the measure. We do. We therefore continue our way in the small canyon. When suddenly: “And shit! We missed the exit,” complains the teammate. Because of the construction site, its change of lane, the absence of signage, concrete blocks – and let’s be honest, a lack of attention – we are now embarked under the canal… Fatal error, which will delay us further.
In the center it rolls, at the exits it blocks
It’s around 8:30 a.m. We come out of the tunnel. Hop, U-turn on Boulevard Léopold II and we’re back on Sainctelette. Its reputation as a black spot for Brussels mobility is confirmed on this autumn morning. The automobile mass in which we are stuck moves at a walking pace, following the sporadic green lights. Many break the rules, use the bus lane. We don’t: we just chomp at the bit. Three, four lights go by. We advance no more than 20 meters. Stuck on the bridge, we have plenty of time to contemplate the canal. On one side Tour&Taxis. On the other, the Boulevard du Ninième de Ligne, our destination just a few meters away.
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Around 8:41 a.m., we arrive at Porte de Flandre. On the platform, traffic is “fluid”, if we can put it that way. Passing the Porte d’Anderlecht, we even reach 50 km/h. With the Midi district looming, traffic jams are coming back. Here we are almost at a stop at the titanic metro 3 construction site. The forced stop invites us to rediscover unsuspected heritage jewels of our capital. Like the superb “Monument to the Fairgrounds who died for the Fatherland” in the charming Square de l’Aviation.
Green light: here we go towards the Porte de Hal. A jerky race depending on the slowdowns. In the almost stationary tunnel, the play of light on the walls relaxes the atmosphere somewhat and mixes with the reddish tints of the brake lights. On the left band, we move forward. But on each outing, the line lifts are nightmarish.
Because this is the observation that we draw from this circular escapade around the Pentagon: tracing your rectilinear path on the Little Belt is not the worst. It’s exiting and entering the small ring road that wastes the most time, with meager progress often occurring in dribs and drabs.
After slowly passing through Louise, we pay the price to return to rue Belliard. It honks. The lights vary between green and red without making much progress. In their band, the cyclists parade without interruption, despite the more than gloomy weather. The minutes pass painfully at a standstill. The driver pedals to gain each meter, which awakens the pain of a recent sprained ankle. Finally, green light, it’s our turn. Hello Little Belt, hello Belliard… another story.
In conclusion, this tour of the Petite Ceinture took us more than an hour. 1h04 to do 8.9 km, or 8.3 km/h: “it’s still okay”, some people used to Brussels traffic will say… In the end, it’s not the Petite Ceinture which is the most problematic in Brussels. That same evening, it took us almost 40 minutes to travel the 2 kilometers separating the Paul Brien hospital in Schaerbeek from the Docks shopping center. A journey which usually only takes 6 to 7 minutes.
The tour of the Petite Ceinture during rush hour ©IPM
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