Creating a safer traffic system and covering structure for the Antwerp Ring Road

The Department of Mobility of Flanders (Belgium) decided to cover the entire ring road of Antwerp with a total length of 20km. As a result the traffic system of the South Eastern part of the ring, including interchanges, needed to be redesigned.

The covering of the ring road improves city safety and air quality and reduces traffic noise. It also unlocks neighborhoods, which brings more cohesion to Antwerp.

We studied the technical feasibility of the covering and developed the covered ring road. A parallel road system seperates local and through traffic, which improves the traffic flow and safety. Using monthly workshops with our client, the Organization for Permanent Modernity, and the opposing stakeholders, we balanced the different interests in the traffic system and covering structure we developed.

Our integral approach included technical expertise on the covering structure itself, traffic engineering, highway design and masterplanning, including underground interchanges and highway ramps. We sparked a new way of thinking about the future of mobility and a shift of focus from cars to other modes such as cycling or public transport. A liveable future of the city of Antwerp and Flanders as a whole requires an ambitious modal shift.

The key services we delivered were civil engineering, sustainable infrastructure design, transport consulting and urban design.