Traffic chaos as Reyers and Belliard tunnels closed

The closure of two of Brussels' busiest road tunnels caused major traffic problems around the east of Brussels on Tuesday morning.

The Reyers-Centre tunnel had to be closed by Brussels Mobility because of defective CCTV equipment, while the Belliard tunnel was shut because of ventilation problems.

Five kilometres of traffic jams formed on the E40 approach to Brussels from Liège. Place Meiser was completely blocked, with a knock-on effect on neighbouring roads including Avenue Plasky and the Chaussée de Louvain.

The Stib said about 10 of its bus routes in the area were severely delayed. Trams were also halted on lines 25 and 62 because of a collision at Meiser.

Technical staff are working to fix the tunnel defects this morning. It is hoped the tunnels can be reopened by lunchtime.