Sint-Niklaas (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The Council of State rejected the Vita hospital plans in Sint-Niklaas due to inadequate traffic impact assessments. In response the city has developed a new mobility plan to address these concerns aiming for a sustainable hospital location by 2030.
The Council of State rejected the plans for the new Vitaz hospital in Sint-Niklaas because they didn’t adequately address how it would affect traffic on the busy N40 and N71 roads. They were concerned that the hospital would worsen traffic especially during rush hours and the developers didn’t provide a solid plan to handle the expected increase in vehicles. The Council also emphasized that the planning needed to consider public transport emergency vehicle routes and environmental impacts. As a result the developers and local authorities now have to revise their plans to tackle these traffic issues which might involve changing the hospital’s location or improving access routes.
What steps are being taken to address traffic concerns for the Vitaz Hospital in Sint-Niklaas?
In response to the Council of State’s rejection of the initial plan for the new Vitaz hospital the city of Sint-Niklaas has created a new mobility plan to fix the traffic issues that were raised. This new plan aims to make it possible to build the hospital on Neerkouter in the long run. General Manager Stefan Van den Brock expressed his happiness with how quickly the city’s administration acted. He mentioned that the new mobility plan includes detailed predictions of how many staff and patients will be moving around which is important for planning the infrastructure needed to handle the extra traffic from the new hospital.
The updated mobility plan likely includes better road access changes to public transport routes and improved traffic management to keep traffic flowing smoothly. By making these adjustments the city aims to reduce potential traffic jams that could come from the hospital’s operations. This proactive approach shows that both the hospital administration and the local government are dedicated to building the new Vitaz hospital in a way that is sustainable and minimally disruptive to the community. The detailed planning in the mobility plan is expected to address the concerns raised by the Council of State paving the way for the project’s approval and construction.
The plan includes building a bicycle tunnel under Heimolenstraat, smart traffic lights, new bike paths and turning lanes at intersections. A new bus stop will also be created at the site. This plan should allow for a new zoning plan that is expected to be approved by spring. The best-case scenario is that the hospital could open in 2030 but it might take longer. Van den Brouck highlights that moving the hospital out of the city center is very important as it will still be easy to reach. Many patients come from outside Sint-Niklaas so the Neerkouter location is great especially since it’s close to the E17 highway.
