Traffic disruption on Antwerp ring road in both directions during autumn break and weekend of November 11

On Saturday, October 25, the first section of the Bypass towards the Netherlands, the temporary highway along the R1, will open. During the autumn break, there will also be preparations for further construction of the Bypass in the other direction. From November 12, a new access road to the R1 towards Ghent and Brussels will open in Deurne. 

Both during the autumn break in October and during the long weekend of November 11, serious traffic disruptions are expected on the Antwerp ring road towards Ghent and Brussels between Merksem and Berchem and on connecting highways. Don't be caught off guard and choose an alternative means of transportation if possible. 

The Smart ways to Antwerp website and app provide a clear overview of all alternatives and offer real-time, customized travel advice. For up-to-date traffic information on the highways, you can always visit the website of the Flemish Traffic Center.

Opening of the Bypass during the weekend of October 24 

From Saturday, October 25, the first section of the Bypass towards the Netherlands will open, between the AFAS Dome (former Sportpaleis) and the junction of the R1 with the E19 and the A12 (“Antwerp North”). The switch from the current Antwerp ring road to the Bypass will take place in several phases between Thursday night and Sunday morning. As a result, traffic will be restricted to fewer lanes that weekend. 

• During the night of Friday 24 to Saturday 25 October, the junction of the R1 to the A12 towards Bergen op Zoom will also be closed. The Merksem exit will remain open throughout the works.
• To prepare for the opening of the Bypass, we will be working on the Antwerp Ring Road on Thursday night 23 and Friday night 24 October, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night. During these nights, only two lanes will be available on the R1 near the AFAS Dome and only one lane on the Jozef Masurebrug, near the Antwerp-Noord junction.
• On Friday evening, October 24, from 10 p.m. onwards, you will be able to drive on two lanes on the Antwerp Ring Road towards the Netherlands. From 11 p.m. onwards, you will only be able to drive on one lane. The junction to the A12 towards Bergen op Zoom will also be closed. During this closure, a diversion will be provided via exit 5 Kleine Bareel.
• On Saturday morning from 6:00 a.m., the first traffic will travel on the Bypass towards the Netherlands on two lanes. The junction to the A12 towards Bergen op Zoom will be open again.
• Between Saturday evening 11:30 p.m. and Sunday morning 8:00 a.m., traffic will travel on only one lane on the Bypass.
• From Sunday morning, October 26, at 8:00 a.m., the Bypass will be fully operational. Drivers can then count on three lanes with a speed limit of 70 km/h.

Read more about the Bypass, the temporary highway along the R1.

Traffic impact on the R1 towards Ghent and Brussels during the autumn break

In the other direction, traffic will be restricted to one lane on the junction of the E313 to the Antwerp ring road towards Ghent and Brussels throughout the autumn break, from Friday, October 24 at 10 p.m. to Monday, November 3 at 5 a.m. The Borgerhout exit of the R1 coming from the Netherlands will be open, but with a shortened exit lane. 

In addition, from Sunday, October 26, in preparation for the Bypass towards Ghent and Brussels, the capacity of the Antwerp ring road between Merksem and the AFAS Dome will be reduced from four to three lanes until the end of the Oosterweel works. The speed limit will be reduced from 100 to 70 kilometers per hour. This will reduce the risk of accidents and create a stable situation in preparation for the Bypass towards Ghent and Brussels, which will also have three lanes. 

During the nights from Sunday, October 26 to Monday, November 3, there will be reduced capacity on the Antwerp ring road towards Ghent and Brussels, between Merksem and the AFAS Dome (Sportpaleis). During the nights from Monday, October 27 to Wednesday, October 29 and during the night from Friday, October 31 to Saturday, November 1, the Merksem access road towards Ghent and Brussels will be closed. Traffic will be diverted via the access road in Deurne. 

Major traffic disruption from November 7 to 12 on the Antwerp ring road

From Friday, November 7 at 10 p.m. to Wednesday, November 12 at 5 a.m., there will be serious traffic disruption on the Antwerp Ring Road between Merksem and Deurne and on connecting highways. From Deurne to Borgerhout, there are only two lanes available towards Ghent and Brussels. The following junctions will be completely closed: 

• The access road in Deurne to the Ring towards Ghent and Brussels
• The junction of the E313 to the R1 towards Ghent and Brussels
• The junction of the R1 coming from the Netherlands to the E313
• Access and exit roads in Berchem and Merksem
• Groenendaallaan towards Merksem
• Mechelsebrug towards the city center 

The Borgerhout exit of the R1 coming from the Netherlands is open, but with a shortened exit lane. Traffic from the E313 towards Ghent and Brussels makes a U-turn via the Merksem complex, while traffic from the R1 towards Ghent to the E313 turns via the Berchem complex. The timetables for public transport will be maintained as much as possible.

During this period, the Liefkenshoektunnel will be toll-free in both directions during the day, namely:

• Saturday, November 8, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 9, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Monday, November 10, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 11, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

From November 12, traffic will travel via the Noordersingel on the new Deurne access road to the Antwerp ring road towards Ghent and Brussels and towards the E313. The current access road on Schijnpoortweg will be permanently closed from 10 p.m. on November 7. 

At the same time, the Antwerp ring road towards Ghent and Brussels will also be reduced from four to three lanes between the AFAS Dome and the Antwerp-East junction. From Friday, November 12, the entire ring road towards Ghent and Brussels between Merksem and Deurne will therefore have three lanes. Here too, the speed limit will be reduced from 100 to 70 kilometers per hour. 

Between November 12 and 23, we will be completing the new Deurne access road. During the night of Wednesday, November 12 to Thursday, November 13, traffic on the Antwerp ring road towards Ghent and Brussels will be restricted to two lanes. During the night of Saturday, November 22 to Sunday, November 23, traffic will be restricted to one lane.