Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Flemish Government approved the WOW project to improve access to Waasland Port in Antwerp. It includes a 5 km green buffer, new roads, rail, bike paths, and involves Ministers De Ridder and Brouns.
As VRT News reported, the Flemish Government has approved the Western Access to the Waasland Port in Antwerp, also called WOW. This is a big project to make traffic better around the Left Bank of the Port of Antwerp. Officials mentioned that it will also help nearby towns. A new road will go from Schoorhavenweg to Deurganckdok West.
Now, many trucks drive through towns like Kieldrecht and Verrebroek. This causes traffic, noise, and pollution. The new road will keep trucks out of these towns. The road will also connect the port to main roads like the N49 and E34.
What will the WOW project change for Antwerp’s port and towns?
The WOW project is not only about making a new road. It will also build new train tracks to move goods by rail instead of trucks. Flemish Minister Annick De Ridder says the goal is to handle port traffic in a clean and careful way. She says the plan should not bother people living in nearby towns.
The Flemish Government wants the port to expand and reduce air pollution and safety threats. Now that plan approval has occurred, they need to turn the plan into a full plan and check the impact on nature, and ask people what they think. After this, the work can start in the next few years.
According to officials, 1 important part of the Western Access to Waasland Port (WOW) project is the plan to build a 5-kilometer green buffer. The buffer will be placed between the new road and nearby towns. Later, it will grow into an 11-kilometer green belt. This larger green zone will protect the old polder landscape.
Flemish Minister of the Environment Jo Brouns (CD&V) also emphasizes the importance of the project:
“We are strengthening the port as an economic engine, while respecting the quality of life in the region. This project demonstrates that economic growth and sustainability can go hand in hand.”
The Western Access project is part of a bigger plan to improve the Left Bank of the port. It is one of 3 projects in the Container Cluster plan. The WOW project is linked to new plans for handling more containers in the future. This will help the port deal with more traffic. The Flemish Government also wants to build strong roads. The next step is to send the plan to the Council of State. This is the top court in Belgium. The court will check if the plan follows the rules.
