Ooigem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Flemish government is investing €4 million in a new lock in Ooigem to ease canal traffic and improve road safety, with construction led by Mayor Rik Buyse starting in 2 years.
As VRT News reported, a new lock is being built on the Roeselare-Leie Canal in Ooigem, near Wielsbeke, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. The Flemish government is giving €4 million for the work. They mentioned that the current lock is full and cannot handle more ships. Many ships use this canal.
Mayor Rik Buyse (Samen+) says a second lock is needed to let more ships pass and make water transport better. The new lock will help cut down waiting times and let ships move more smoothly. To build the lock, part of Vaartstraat will be taken over, and 2 houses will be torn down. These homes already belong to the Flemish Waterway.
What will the new Ooigem lock and road changes improve?
According to officials, the new lock in Ooigem will also help make traffic better. Vaartstraat is a small and busy road near the canal. The road will be changed to make it safer and easier to use. This is part of the same project as the new lock. The town wants to do the road and canal work at the same time.
“That’s important to us,”
the mayor continues.
We want freight traffic from Vaartstraat to be reconnected via the N382 expressway.”
In the past, traffic coming from Vaartstraat could turn right toward Waregem, but this caused many problems. Truck drivers often did not follow the rules and kept using the road, which led to unsafe situations. Because of this, the exit was fully closed.
Now, with the plans for the new lock in Ooigem, a new traffic solution is also being planned. There will be a new oval roundabout that will ensure traffic is directed in a safe and organised manner to avoid these kinds of problems. The Flemish government has indicated their acceptance of this plan; the administrative documents just need to be finalised.
According to officials, the plans for the new lock in Ooigem are already well prepared. The next steps are to ask for prices from builders and to apply for the needed permits. They mentioned that if the permits and price process go well, the building could start in the next 2 years.
