Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Due to heat damage, roads on E313 (near Diepenbeek) and E314 (near Aarschot, Tielt-Winge) have lane closures, causing 4–6 km traffic jams. Flemish Traffic Centre warns Rock Werchter visitors of delays.
As VRT News reported, on the E313 motorway, which is between Lummen and Liège, the road surface has been damaged in Flanders. This happened because of the heat near Diepenbeek. The concrete there has already been fixed. But the new surface still needs to get completely hard, because of this, there is only one lane open in 2 different places.
Officials mentioned that the heat likely caused the concrete to push up. This is because the concrete gets bigger when it is hot. People need to be patient and expect to drive slower through that area until the road is completely safe.
“Anyone driving to Rock Werchter via these roads should take into account severely delayed traffic”,
Says the Flemish Traffic Centre.
How is the Flanders heatwave causing jams on E313 and E314?
According to officials, there are similar road problems on the E314 between Lummen and Leuven. Near Aarschot, only one lane is open towards Lummen. This causes cars to merge and makes traffic slow. Going towards Leuven, the road at Tielt-Winge has been fixed for now.
They mentioned that cars must drive slowly, at 70 kilometres per hour. These quick fixes are to stop more damage or accidents. They are also watching the road to fix it properly later. Now, traffic is backed up for up to 6 kilometres. Drivers should take more time or find another way if they can.
The E314 motorway is also facing issues due to the heat. Near Aarschot, heading towards Lummen, only one lane is open, resulting in a 4-kilometre traffic jam. At Tielt-Winge, they did quick repairs overnight to help people going to the Rock Werchter festival.
Officials mentioned that the road reopened at 5:30 a.m., but drivers must now drive at 70 kilometres per hour for safety. Even though the road is open, those going to Rock Werchter should prepare for at least 5 kilometres of slow traffic. The traffic centre advises drivers to allow extra travel time, avoid the area if possible, or find alternative routes to avoid the congestion.
