Vilvoorde (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The Vilvoorde viaduct will enforce a weekend truck ban for vehicles over 3.5 tons from 11 PM Friday to 4 AM Monday until early 2026. Violators face fines of €174 and potential court appearances. This measure aims to reduce traffic jams and enhance safety during ongoing renovation work.
The traffic police near the Vilvoorde viaduct will start enforcing a weekend ban on trucks crossing the viaduct in the upcoming weekends. This decision is made to make sure the ban is followed which aims to reduce traffic jams and improve safety. Trucks that break the ban will be committing a serious traffic violation in Belgium known as a third-degree offense. Drivers caught ignoring the ban could face a fine of 174 euros. They might have to go to police court where they could face more legal penalties. It has been said that the enforcement of this ban shows how important it is for the authorities to make sure traffic rules are followed especially in places where safety and traffic flow matter. The weekend truck ban is likely part of bigger efforts to manage traffic over the viaduct which handles a lot of vehicles.
What strategies are being implemented to enforce the weekend truck ban on the Vilvoorde viaduct?
Struyf who is likely an authority involved in enforcing the weekend truck ban over the Vilvoorde viaduct has decided not to share when the traffic police will start giving out fines. He believes this is a smart move because it will stop truck drivers from just following the ban for a short time if they know when the police will be watching closely. By not sharing the exact dates when fines will be given Struyf wants to make sure that truck drivers follow the ban all the time not just on weekends when they think the police will be checking. He worries that if they knew the timing drivers might take different routes only on those weekends and then break the ban again afterward. This plan is meant to encourage drivers to follow the rules for a longer time and keep the roads safe.
In the last two weekends the group in charge of widening the Brussels Ring saw that many heavy trucks were still driving through the area where they’re not allowed. The spokesperson Struyf said that while there were fewer trucks the second weekend they want to see no heavy vehicles at all. Since August 10 trucks over 3.5 tons can’t go over this busy spot on weekends and this will continue until early 2026. They need to do this to allow welding work to make the viaduct stronger and they can only weld when there’s no heavy traffic causing vibrations. De Werkvennootschap is taking stronger actions because many truck drivers are still ignoring the ban. Struyf said they’ve talked to the road police who will help catch the worst offenders that cause the most vibrations. The ban is from 11 PM on Friday to 4 AM on Monday. Long-distance trucks from west to east should go through Waterloo and trucks from Antwerp need to take the E19 instead of the A12. Local traffic can still use the recently fixed Buda Bridge as a detour.
