Invest road-toll income in roadworks, demands federation

The government should invest the income it receives from a new road toll in new roads and in maintenance, said the three regional Construction Federations in a joint statement.

The new road toll comes into force next year and applies to vehicles larger than 3.5 tonnes.  The measure has provoked protests from the retail sector as well as the transport industry. According to the construction industry, the money raised should be reinvested in the upkeep of existing roads and the construction of new roads. 

Last week motoring organisation Touring warned that, at current rates of advance, the “missing links” in the country’s road network will only be completed in 2070. Touring drew up a list of weak spots, including tunnels under Rond-point Schuman and Bois de la Cambre in Brussels, the Brussels Ring (pictured), the A8 in Halle, the A12 Brussels-Antwerp and the Oosterweel connection in Antwerp.

In 2002, a list of 201 of these spots was released, and 37 projects have since been completed. “There’s a lot of work to be done,” commented Touring spokesperson Danny Smagghe. “With 162 missing links to go at a rate of three a year, we’ll get there by 2070.”

photo courtesy MPD01605/Wikimedia