Maasmechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The new trambus will connect Maasmechelen, Genk, and Hasselt, with €6 million upgrades planned on the Rijksweg despite opposition from Adem-N-VA members like Marco Blascetta.
The trambus, a new bus service, will soon connect Maasmechelen, Genk, and Hasselt. It’s designed to be a modern and efficient way to travel, similar to a tram but with the flexibility of a bus. To support this, Maasmechelen is building special entrance and exit ramps near the E314 motorway. These ramps will allow the trambus to bypass regular traffic and keep a consistent schedule.
The new ramps will link to Heistraat and pass under the motorway bridge, avoiding the busiest intersections. Officials mentioned that this project is a key part of improving travel in the area and supports larger plans to upgrade public transport in Limburg, such as the Spartacus Plan.
Is the €6M tram project on the Rijksweg worth the investment?
According to the officials, to keep the trambus running on time, the traffic lights near its route will be adjusted. They will turn green for the trambus every 15 minutes, about 4 times every hour. They mentioned that there’s still a worry about a special bus lane on the Rijksweg.
If this lane isn’t finished, the trambus could still get stuck in traffic, especially when lots of cars are on the road. Daan Deckers, who is in charge of transport, said the traffic lights are a good step, but more work is needed to make the route work perfectly.
A new project to improve the trambus service on the Rijksweg has drawn criticism. The project, estimated at 6 million euros, is designed to speed up public transport, potentially through new traffic lights, lane adjustments, and intersection changes.
The opposition party, Adem-N-VA, is against it. Council members Marco Blascetta and Andy Pieters argue the investment is too high for what it achieves. They claim the trambus would only save 72 seconds, while regular cars would face delays.
They also point out that this would add a 9th traffic light on that part of the Rijksweg, which they believe is excessive and unhelpful. The council members are frustrated, calling the decision “too crazy,” as they believe it wrongly prioritises the trambus over general traffic flow.
In response to the trambus plan, Adem-N-VA suggested a different idea. They wanted a study to rebuild the Rijksweg without making it bigger. They preferred to improve what was already there instead of adding more lanes or lights. Their goal was to help public transport and keep traffic moving without spending a lot of money.
