Road maintenance shortfall in Belgium

A lack of sufficient road maintenance poses future problems for Belgium’s road network, according to the country’s planning office. Unless investment is made, the Belgium Planning Office (BPO) believes the nation’s road network will become overcrowded and dilapidated by 2020. BPO says that this could result in travel speeds falling 29% from 2008 to 2030 due to congestion and with a corresponding rise in journey times. Belgium's roads are amongst those with the heaviest traffic volumes in Europe. The BPO bel
November 28, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

A lack of sufficient road maintenance poses future problems for Belgium’s road network, according to the country’s planning office.

Unless investment is made, the Belgium Planning Office (BPO) believes the nation’s road network will become overcrowded and dilapidated by 2020. BPO says that this could result in travel speeds falling 29% from 2008 to 2030 due to congestion and with a corresponding rise in journey times.

Belgium's roads are amongst those with the heaviest traffic volumes in Europe. The BPO believes that a journey that took one hour and 18 minutes in 2008 will take one hour and 51 minutes in 2030.

Meanwhile, traffic at off-peak times could have speeds cut by 16%. The report produced by the BPO claims that cars will still be the most used form of transport in 2030, accounting for 80% of passenger km travelled. Goods transport by road will also increase, accounting for 71% of km tonnes in 2030. But if transport policy remains unaltered then greenhouse gas emissions will increase by 12% between 2008 and 2030, despite energy efficiency improvements in vehicles.

Related Content

  • ARTBA reports green success in US
    March 1, 2012
    A new report from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) says that the US transportation sector has been instrumental in improving the country's environment over the past 40 years.
    Read More
  • New US$200 million ring road to be built in Belarus capital Minsk
    May 23, 2014
    Minsk is to benefit from a new ring road that will cut city congestion - Eugene Gerden reports The government of Belarus is investing more than US$200 million in the building of a new ring road around the country’s capital Minsk, in accordance with a government decree. Implementation of the project is taking place as part of the existing large-scale state road building programme in the country until 2017, with the total cost estimated at US$5 billion. The new road will measure some 85km long and will feat
    Read More
  • Demand diversity in the construction equipment sector
    June 1, 2015
    Demand within the global construction equipment manufacturing industry is anything but homogenous, with certain countries and sales regions significantly outperforming others, with a whole host of factors fuelling and suppressing each key market - Guy Woodford reports
    Read More
  • EU biofuels strategy ‘criticised’
    July 3, 2012
    A NEW report revealed by the European Commission says that increasing the share of fuel used in transport beyond 5.6% could cause more harm than benefit to the environment. At the end of 2008 the EU agreed to set a target of 10% of transport fuel coming from renewable sources such as biofuels as well as hydrogen and ‘green’ electricity by 2020. The agreement also included a requirement that all new energy sources be sustainable, setting sustainability criteria for biofuels, and is this last point that is p
    Read More

Highlighted Content