Roads & highways
R0 North, Zaventem section: towards a safer, more liveable Brussels Ring Road
From a congested traffic artery to a vital backbone for the entire region: the Zaventem section of R0 North creates space for better mobility, strong cycling and walking connections, nature and water. To achieve this, Sweco and Arcadis are combining their expertise in the MoVeR0 joint venture, commissioned by De Werkvennootschap.
- Expertise:
- Transport & Mobility
- Client
- De Werkvennootschap
- Location
- Machelen, Zaventem and Kraainem
- Services
- Reference design, preparation and follow-up of environmental permit applications, support for and organisation of stakeholder consultation, preparation of the DBFM tender documents and support during the competitive dialogue
- Partners
- THV MoVeR0: Sweco and Arcadis; specialist partners: ZJA, Frank Van Hulle, Cluster and Mint
R0 North in figures
- 7 km of upgraded motorway, separating through traffic from local traffic
- 6 km of cycling infrastructure and 7 km of new footpaths
- More than 70 bridges and tunnels for safely crossing the Ring Road
- 48 unsafe locations on the Ring Road addressed
- More than 50 ecological connections for fauna and flora
- 5 locations where watercourses will be reopened and 40,000 m³ of additional water storage capacity
- More than 6 km of noise barriers
Space for safe mobility, nature and water
The section runs from the R0/E19 interchange in Machelen to the R0/E40 interchange in Sint-Stevens-Woluwe and also includes the Kraainem interchange. Between the E19 and E40, a parallel road system will be created, comprising a through Ring Road and an urban Ring Road. Through traffic will remain on the main Ring Road, while traffic heading to destinations in the surrounding area will use the urban Ring Road. This clear separation reduces weaving movements, makes the traffic situation easier to understand and safer, and supports smoother traffic flows.
At the same time, the redevelopment tackles the barrier effect of the Ring Road. New and improved crossings will provide cyclists and pedestrians with more safe space, while green-blue connections will reconnect fauna, flora and watercourses. More compact interchanges will also free up additional space for landscape and nature and help keep through traffic out of nearby residential areas.
Integrated design for R0 North
Within the MoVeR0 joint venture, Sweco and Arcadis support the process from design and permitting through to procurement and construction. Our experts work on the reference design, prepare and follow up environmental permit applications, organise stakeholder consultation and support De Werkvennootschap with the DBFM tender documents and the competitive dialogue. This integrated approach is essential for a project in which road construction, civil structures, active mobility, landscape, ecology, water and liveability are closely interconnected.
Specialist partners also contribute as subcontractors within the MoVeR0 joint venture: ZJA for the interchanges, Frank Van Hulle for the slip roads and local connections, Cluster for general landscape support and Mint for traffic-modelling support. This brings infrastructure, mobility, landscape, ecology and water together in one coherent whole.
Building a resilient Ring Road together
With the appointment of the R0Q consortium (Jan De Nul Group, BESIX, Stadsbader Group, Willemen Groep and investment partner I4B – The Belgian Infrastructure Fund) as preferred bidder, R0 North is entering a new phase. In the coming period, the design, construction and contractual arrangements will be further aligned. Together with Arcadis and the specialist partners in the MoVeR0 joint venture, Sweco will continue to support De Werkvennootschap, with a focus on thorough preparation and feasible delivery.