Brussels has asked approval for a plan to turn the last 3km of the A12 highway connecting Brussels to Antwerp into Parkway 21, a mixed-use green area that would include walkways, bikeways, and only one lane for cars where now there are three.
The highway ends in the outer areas of the two cities and traffic continues onto other roads; the proposal would still allow cars headed for central Brussels to reach the connections. Cars headed the other way would still have three lanes. The area involved is along a series of parks in the Laeken district.
The planners say they hope that the plan will reduce traffic and encourage people to use less-polluting means of travel, including a new tram line that is already scheduled to serve the area.
According to Elke Van den Brandt, Minister for Mobility and Public Works, “The A12 will become a green, smooth and liveable gateway for everyone and will connect the parks of Laeken to form an almost unbroken green space.”
