Zelzate (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Zelzate tunnel on E34 near Ghent will close for 80 nights to install energy-saving LED lights. Closures run from June 16 to Aug 3, 2025, and from September 15 to November 7, 2025. AWV leads the project.
The Zelzatetunnel, a municipality in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, on E34, will be closed for 80 nights. The lights in the Zelzatetunnel near Ghent are going to be replaced. The old lights are too old and don’t work very well anymore.
The AWV, the agency that takes care of roads and traffic, is going to put in new lights that use less energy. They mentioned that the old lights don’t work as well, and it’s hard to find new ones because they are so old.
What’s behind the 80-night closure of the Zelzate tunnel?
According to the officials, the work will be done in 2 parts. The initial phase will be from June 16th to August 31st, 2025, and it will impact traffic travelling towards the coast. Drivers will have to make detours. The second part will be from September 15th to November 7th, 2025, and it will affect traffic going towards Antwerp.
They mentioned that drivers will also need to take detours during this time. The work will be stopped for 3 weeks in July, so drivers won’t have to take detours during that time. This will give commuters a temporary break from the disruption.
The tunnel will be closed at night, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., to make sure that traffic isn’t too bad during the day. While the tunnel is closed, cars will be sent over the Zelzatebrug, which is next to the tunnel. Officials mentioned that for long trips, the E17 and E40 highways are the best way to avoid delays around Zelzate.
According to the Roads and Traffic agency (AWV), the new lights in the Zelzatetunnel will be better for the environment and save money. The AWV is making these changes because they wants to improve the roads and make them safer for everyone.
