Herent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A low 2.15 m bridge on Bijlokestraat, Herent, keeps trapping vans despite new warning signs. Alderman Simon Pardon says a costly land takeover for height barriers isn’t planned yet.
As VRT News reported, on Bijlokestraat in Herent, a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, another van got stuck under the low railway bridge, and locals were not shocked.
People living nearby say they are now used to the loud bang of metal and the traffic jams that follow when a driver guesses the height wrong. Many signs have been put up before, but it’s not working, and neighbours now wonder if anything will stop it from happening again.
Why does Herent’s 2.15 m Bijlokestraat bridge keep trapping vans?
3 weeks ago, workers put up new bright warning signs on and around the bridge in Bijlokestraat to stop tall vans from getting stuck. The signs say clearly that only vehicles lower than 2.15 meters can drive under it. But some drivers still ignore the signs or fail to notice them in time.
The new warning signs are not fixing the problem, because another van got stuck under the bridge yesterday, July 30, 2025. For now, officials say there is no quick or easy way to stop these crashes. Some locals and drivers think the answer could be to add strong height limiters further up the road to block tall vehicles before they reach the bridge.
Alderman Simon Pardon say,
“As a municipality, we’re trying to prevent delivery trucks from driving underneath anymore. But as long as we don’t close the bridge, it’s unavoidable, of course. It’s a great shame that we haven’t yet achieved the desired result, but we’ll continue to monitor the situation.”
According to officials, taking over private land to create space for height limiters is likely not successful, which local authorities don’t want to do, because it would be costly, annoying for land owners and legally very difficult to pursue.
The low bridge on Bijlokestraat in Herent has caused trouble for years, with vans and trucks often getting stuck under it. Many drivers use the road while following GPS, which does not warn them about the low height.
The city has done many things: repainted height signs, added blinking lights, replaced boards, etc., but the collisions keep happening. Neighbours say that it has simply become a part of the landscape, while officials keep trying to figure things out.
