Roadworks in the port
The port's accessibility is important to companies, customers and employees. To optimise this accessibility, roadworks are planned over the coming months in and around the port area which may cause some disruption in the short term. Here we present a list of the main projects, to help you reduce the impact on goods transport and commuter traffic.
View the interactive roadworks map full-screen in a new browser window
List of roadworks in the port area.
- Roadworks on the Scheldelaan between Lillo and Zandvliet: March 2017 - spring 2019
- Roadworks for the Northern Line project (Noorderlaan/Leien)
- Resurfacing of Noorderleien: June 2017 - December 2018
- Temporary delays Ekeren entrance to A12 (direction of the Netherlands) at Schoonbroek-Dragonderstraat: 1 October - 20 December 2018
- Resurfacing of E19 between Loenhout and Brecht in direction of Netherlands: 19 October - 26 November 2018
- Repairs of road surface in Tijsmanstunnel: 21 - 26 November 2018
- Temporary delays at Berendecht and Zandvliet locks due to replacement of bridge locking mechanisms: 1 March - 31 May 2019
- Other wharfs in the city of Antwerp
- Real-time info about roadworks and traffic disruption in Antwerp
Attention! the websites containing more info on the roadworks are referred to in the links below yet are only available in Dutch.
Roadworks on the Scheldelaan between Lillo and Zandvliet
Project: Construction of new high-voltage wiring under the Scheldelaan (Elia Brabo-project) & renovation of entire road surface on the Scheldelaan between Lillo and Zandvliet (Roads and Traffic Agency).
Period: 1 March 2017 - 31 September 2018.
Wharf zone: Scheldelaan heading towards the Netherlands between the North Sea Terminal and the Lillo interchange - traffic running in one direction only (towards Antwerp).
Roadworks for the Northern Line project (Noorderlaan/Leien)
Northern Line project (Brabo 2)
Project: Connecting the North of Antwerp in different phases by dding a tram connection and redeveloping a number of important traffic hubs in the city. The aim of these impactfull roadworks is improving road use and safety for other road users, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
The roadworks on the Northern Line will take place on 3 areas in the city: North Leien area, in the Eilandje neighbourhood and on the Noorderlaan. The traffic in the Port of Antwerp will be most affected by the roadworks on the Noorderlaan. Access via the Leien will be temporarily cut off, traffic will have to follow local detours.
Period: March 2016 - July 2019
More info on the Northern Line project (website in Dutch)
View an up-to-date list of the roadworks (website in Dutch)
Download accessibility maps for the roadworks (website in Dutch)
Resurfacing work on Noorderlaan: Leien boulevards closed - Port traffic to avoid Exit 1 Merksem
Project: resurfacing of Operaplein square and F. Rooseveltplaats square, construction of a new underground car park and a new car tunnel.
Impact on traffic in the port: The roadworks are extensive and will affect the accessibility of the port. Additional traffic will have to take alternative routes, such as the Ring and Singel roads. The Merksem interchange is liable to be particularly busy, and so traffic to and from the southern part of the port area is advised to go via the Ekeren interchange instead.
Period of the work on the Leien: 5 June 2017 - December 2018.
Period of the work on Fr. Rooseveltplaats: 5 June 2017 - June 2019. The work will be carried out in 4 phases so as to affect public transport as little as possible.
Diversions:
- HAVEN 47-426 (pink zone on map): Traffic for this area in the port (south) should avoid exit Merksem (Exit 1 Ring Antwerpen) and ideally takes Exit 16 Ekeren on the A12 highway.
- HAVEN 427-601 (green zone on map): Traffic for this area in the port (middle) ideally takes exits Kanaaldok B1-B2 (Exit 13 on R2 highway) or Lillo (Exit 12 on R2 highway).
- HAVEN 602-999 (blue zone on map): Traffic for this area in the port (north) ideally uses the Stabroek Interchange (Exit 13 on A12 highway) to reach the even numbers or the Zandvliet Interchange (Exit 11 on A12) for the odd numbers.
Temporary delays at the Ekeren entrance to the A12 in the direction of the Netherlands at Schoonbroek-Dragonderstraat
Project: extension of the existing noise barriers along the A12 in Ekeren as far as the Transcontinental bridge.
Period: 1 October - 20 December 2018.
Diversion: traffic for the Transcontinental bridge will be single-lane on the Ekeren entrance (16) to the A12 in the direction of the Netherlands.
Resurfacing of E19 between Loenhout and Brecht in direction of Netherlands
Project: renovation of road surface and replacement of safety barrier on the median strip of the E19 in the direction of the Netherlands (work carried out by Agentschap Wegen & Verkeer) over a distance of 5.5 km, from the Brecht slip road complex (exit N° 3) until just past the Loenhout complex (N° 2).
Period: 19 October – 26 November 2018
Diversion:
- Traffic in the direction of Antwerp will still have two narrower lanes available (hard shoulder and right-hand lane).
- Traffic in the direction of the Netherlands will have two narrower lanes available (lane through works area + borrowed lane) on weekdays during the day. Traffic will be diverted through gaps in the median strip onto the borrowed lane on the other side.
- During the night (2100 – 0600 hours) and at weekends traffic in the direction of the Netherlands will only have one lane available (the borrowed lane).
- Work will be suspended on weekends during the autumn vacation (26-29/10 and 2-5/11) in order to reduce hindrance, with traffic on two lanes in both directions.
- In the direction towards Antwerp all entrances and exits will still remain available.
- In the direction towards the Netherlands the Brecht exit will be open at all times. The Brecht entrance and the Loenhout exit will be available during the day but will be closed at night and during weekends. However the Loenhout entrance will nearly always be open, except for one day.
Temporary delays at the Berendecht and Zandvliet locks due to replacement of the bridge locking mechanisms
Project: replacement of the locking mechanisms of the two western bridges at the Berendrecht and Zandvliet locks. This will have an impact on the traffic situation on the Scheldelaan (N101).
Periode: 1 March - 31 May 2019
Diversion: only one of the two crossings over the locks will be available, except when a vessel is passing one of the two bridges in which case the bridges at both ends of the lock will be open and traffic will have to stop.
Cars and light vans (below 3.5 tonnes): will still be able to cross over the lock gates.
Trucks (over 3.5 tonnes): temporary diversion via the A12.
Repairs to road surface in Tijsmanstunnel
Project: Repairs to the concrete road surface are urgently needed in the Tijsmans tunnel in the Beveren direction, to the right-hand lane. The concrete road surface will be removed and a new surface laid at certain places.
Period: From 2100 hours on Friday 16 November to 0500 on Monday 26 November.
Diversions:
- During the weekends the tunnel tube in the Beveren direction will be completely closed and all traffic will be diverted through the tube in the Stabroek direction (2x1 lanes).
- During the week of Monday 19 to Friday 23 November the tunnel tube in the Beveren direction will have one lane available. Traffic in the Stabroek direction will have two lanes available, in its own tube. For the safety of the road workers, the agency responsible for the work has expressly requested that tunnel traffic in the Beveren direction should be subject to a speed limit of 50 kph.
- The B1/B2 Kanal dock entrance ramp (N° 3) will be closed in the Beveren direction for the entire duration of the work. Traffic will be diverted via the Kruisweg road (N180) to the entrance ramp for the Stabroek complex (N° 13). The Lillo entrance/exit complex (N° 12) will remain fully open during the work.
For more long-distance traffic it will be better to avoid the Tijsmans tunnel completely and instead to take the following diversions:
- From the North (A12): via the Zandvliet exit complex and the Scheldelaan road (N101) to the Lillo entrance complex.
- From the South (A12): via the Ekeren exit complex, the Noorderlaan (N180) and the Scheldelaan (N101) to the Lillo entrance complex.
The work will depend greatly on the weather conditions. For example, concrete cannot be poured when the temperature is below freezing, and the schedule could be further disrupted by heavy rain.
Other wharfs in Antwerp
Some major roadworks are also planned in the city of Antwerp and on the access roads to the port.
Download the map of the Antwerp city wharfs