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Antwerp (The Brussels morning Newspaper): Heavy site visitors at Antwerp’s Kennedy Tunnel prompts drivers to make use of the Waasland Tunnel, inflicting congestion and native disturbances. Authorities purpose to handle this by discouraging non-local site visitors and reducing pace limits.
During busy occasions drivers going from Antwerp usually keep away from the heavy site visitors on the Kennedy Tunnel by taking a unique route by way of the Waasland Tunnel. The Kennedy Tunnel an vital street on Antwerp’s ring street usually has lengthy delays due to too many autos. To get round these site visitors jams many drivers use the Waasland Tunnel,which connects town to the Waasland space and the E34 motorway offering a quicker possibility. However taking this detour may cause extra site visitors within the Waasland Tunnel particularly throughout busy journey occasions. To deal with this site visitors authorities use completely different strategies like offering real-time updates and altering site visitors circulate. In the long run plans to scale back congestion might embrace making roads larger and bettering public transportation choices to assist unfold out the site visitors higher.
How are navigation apps impacting site visitors in Antwerp?
Navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps usually inform drivers to make use of the Waasland Tunnel to keep away from site visitors on the Kennedy Tunnel throughout busy hours. These apps take a look at real-time site visitors knowledge to recommend the quickest routes which normally means directing drivers by way of the Waasland Tunnel. While this helps vacationers save time it will possibly trigger issues for native residents. Residents on the Left Bank of Antwerp the place the Waasland Tunnel is usually really feel pissed off with the additional site visitors. The improve in autos utilizing native roads due to the navigation apps may cause extra noise, air air pollution and disturbances of their neighborhoods. This further site visitors can overwhelm native roads and have an effect on the standard of life for folks dwelling close by. As a outcome these communities have been asking for higher methods to handle site visitors circulate and cut back the affect of those navigation options on their areas.
Stefanie Nagels from Roads and Traffic says that by stopping vehicles which are simply passing by way of the Waasland Tunnel they hope navigation apps will cease suggesting that route. They need drivers who aren’t native to make use of the Kennedy Tunnel or the tunnels within the port space as a substitute. Local site visitors means anybody going to the Left Bank like residents, employees, or guests to eating places in order that they gained’t be affected by this variation. The metropolis of Antwerp says it’s unlikely that individuals who preserve utilizing the Waasland Tunnel while not having to go to Linkeroever will get fined. Alderman Koen Kennis stated they don’t plan to test for this however wish to cut back site visitors. Earlier this 12 months in addition they lowered the pace restrict within the tunnel from 50 to 30 kilometers per hour as a result of the tunnel is outdated and in unhealthy situation. This is to assist preserve the tunnel from getting too busy.
