Ypres (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Residents of Brielen, Elverdinge, and Woesten near Ypres raise concerns over N8 traffic. Participatory walks led by Danny Venus (Involved) gather feedback on safety, cycling, and road design; decisions expected in 2–3 years.
As VRT News reported, residents in Brielen and nearby villages, Elverdinge and Woeste, near Ypres, have raised concerns over the N8. Locals say the road is too narrow for the volume of vehicles and creates constant noise and vibrations. Cyclists face serious risks because there are no protected bike paths; instead, there are only painted lines. Parents say they will not allow their children to cycle to school.
What are residents doing about N8 traffic concerns near Ypres?
Construction is now taking place on parts of the N8, but villagers argue that the work does not solve the larger problem. A regional road continues to carry traffic at motorway levels, putting pressure on local communities. Participation experts, including Danny Venus from the agency Involved, confirm that the disruption is severe in Brielen, Elverdinge, and Woesten.
For many years, plans to keep heavy trucks out of Brielen and nearby villages have failed. Proposals for a bypass or a ring road were considered but never carried out because of high costs. Residents say they are tired of waiting for change.
“I have lived here for 30 years and nothing changes,”
Said resident Geert Degraeve.
“Cars drive too fast, there are too many trucks, and it is not safe to cycle here.”
He explained that a bypass was not a real solution because it would cost too much. He also pointed to potato trucks as the main problem. According to him, they could use the Poperinge ring road or the Diksmuidseweg instead of driving through the village.
2 more participatory walks are planned in Elverdinge and Woesten. The walks focus on schools, road crossings, and cycle paths, where locals can share their experiences.
“We visited different places and asked people about their village,”
Said Danny Venus of the agency Involved.
Geert Degraeve says,
“The design needs to be changed. Either they create a decent sidewalk with a parking curb and a bike path where possible. This narrows the street so that heavy traffic can no longer pass through.”
“The houses can’t be moved. We might need to think more broadly. Could we have one-way traffic? That way, we’ll have nice bike paths with more greenery and hedges in the streets.”
The feedback will be included in a wider citizen survey that also involves cycling groups, farmers, and local businesses. Officials say the project is complex because of the many interests at stake. Decisions are expected within 2 to 3 years.
The debate over the future of the N8 has been running since the 1990s, when talks began on whether to extend the A19 motorway from Kortrijk to the coast or upgrade the regional road. In the early 2000s, the Flemish government decided not to build the motorway extension, leaving all traffic to use the N8.
A clear agreement to renovate the road only came in 2018, after years of delay, leaving Brielen, Elverdinge and Woesten to deal with rising traffic problems for more than twenty years. On 1 September 2024, officials launched a citizen survey to gather views from.
