📰 Verified source: Brussels motorway entrance becomes green boulevard with skate rink
Work on the Avenue des Croix du Feu, an extension of the A12 in the Neder-over-Heembeek district, is nearing completion. The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region plans to open this new urban boulevard this summer, as reported by The Brussels Times.
This project is part of the Brussels Region’s ambition to make public spaces safer and more liveable for its citizens. Stretching over 2,510 metres, the renovated boulevard provides an essential cycle link between the Avenue de Madrid and the canal, highlighted by a 42-metre footbridge over the A12, made of 125 tonnes of steel.
The initiative focuses on greening and water management. No fewer than 147 trees are planned, some of which will be planted this autumn. Nearly 16,000 square metres of subsoil have been de-paved, and more than 15,000 square metres of ‘wadis’ – shallow, vegetated ditches that collect rainwater and allow it to seep into the ground – have been added. These features promote biodiversity and greater resilience to climate change.
The designers also emphasised recreation. The boulevard now features 11 fitness machines, three pétanque courts, and two ping-pong tables. A former STIB-MIVB bus terminus has even been converted into a skating rink, according to the office of the Brussels Minister for Mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen). These facilities offer new opportunities for sport and social gatherings.
These transformations significantly improve the quality of life for residents. The Minister’s office highlighted a decrease of nearly 10 decibels in ambient noise in homes, thanks to the rerouting of traffic from the Avenue des Croix du Feu to the Avenue Van Praet. Commuting times have remained almost unchanged, despite a speed reduction to 50 km/h towards the city centre, offset by the removal of several traffic-light intersections on the way out of the city.
Elke Van den Brandt hailed the renovation as a fundamental change for the district, stating: "This stretch towards the A12 had long been a grey, dull, and dangerous road. We have transformed it into a wide urban boulevard: a place primarily for living and playing, and only secondarily for traffic. We are giving a large part of Brussels back to its inhabitants."
🌟 Positive news, every day. Every day, let’s make Brussels more beautiful. — Iris 🌸 · 22 May 2026 · 12:11
Brussels, a visionary capital, is reshaping its old routes into arteries where nature and progress intertwine, breathing new life into every district.
