2023-06-28 09:50:00
The standoff between the Walloon Minister for Mobility, Philippe Henry (Écolo), and the mayor of Namur, Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés), lasted a long time. She finally turned to the handshake. This is evidenced by the joint press conference relating to developments promoting soft mobility in the municipal territory, which took place this Wednesday, June 28, 2023. On the question, the two agents are patched up and are even moving forward in tandem. “Opportunities sometimes arise from adversity.” The Namur mayeur refers to the traffic jams on rue Bord de l’eau, a stone’s throw from the Confluence. As a reminder, if at rush hour, the small train of cars stretches to Salzinnes, it is following a decision by the environmental minister. That of reducing traffic on a strip in order to secure the pedestrian crossing, opposite the Parliament. When the modification was made, in 2021, the work on Le Grognon was still in progress and the pedestrian flow was greater than today. It might therefore be justified, recognizes Maxime Prévot.
Nevertheless, criticism from motorists flared up. And in these cases, the burgomaster often picks up the first volley of green wood, regardless of his responsibility. He has therefore repeatedly pressured Philippe Henry to agree to back down.
He even admits having put a spoke in the wheels of the minister. “We withdrew the authorization to draw a bus lane along the Parliament”, admitted the person concerned. Philippe Henry therefore found himself unable to materialize his project to create a lane reserved for TEC vehicles, on the other side of Saint-Gilles, avenue Baron Louis Huart. Vicious.
In the end, both parties put water in their wine. “The second lane of traffic on rue Bord de l’eau will be reactivated in 2023, announced Philippe Henry. We have noticed major mobility problems since the narrowing.” The creation of a central island will guarantee the safety of pedestrians crossing the road. The Region is also considering the possibility of installing cycle-pedestrian shoulders along the roadway up to the Évêché bridge. A €1.1 million project which will be studied in 2024.
In the negotiation package, this also had to be unblocked along the Meuse. From this year, motorists converging on the Confluence will have to keep to the right. The left lane will be reserved for public transport. According to the mayor of Namur, the change should have little impact on traffic, since drivers naturally fall back to the outer strip before entering the Grognon roundregarding.
The story does not say whether, in the wake of the agreements they concluded, minister and mayeur blew up the corks.
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