Montgomery Roundabout Blocks to Be Removed After Legal Dispute
Approximately 100 concrete blocks installed at the Montgomery roundabout in Brussels as part of a temporary traffic calming experiment in 2022 are set to be removed, according to La Libre Belgique. The decision follows a formal complaint from Urban.brussels, the regional planning authority, which deemed the installations in violation of urban planning regulations.
Background: A Temporary Measure That Became Permanent
The concrete barriers were installed in February 2022 under the mandate of former Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) as part of the broader “Good Move” mobility plan. The roundabout was reduced from four to three lanes, and protected cycle paths were created both inside the roundabout and along its lateral roads. The measure was intended as a temporary experiment to improve cyclist safety and reduce car traffic in one of Brussels’ busiest intersections.
However, what was meant to be temporary became permanent by default. A regional decree limits temporary traffic installations to a maximum of two years without renewal, meaning the blocks should have been removed or formally permitted by February 2024. The major redevelopment project for Avenue de Tervueren — which would have provided a permanent solution — was postponed indefinitely during Brussels’ prolonged period of “current affairs” government.
Legal Complaint Triggers Action
In February 2026, Urban.brussels filed a formal complaint (procès-verbal) against Brussels Mobility, citing the expired legal status of the installations. The case was also referred to the Brussels public prosecutor’s office. The situation was unusual because it pitted two entities of the same regional government against each other: the planning authority versus the transport authority.
Vincent De Wolf (MR), the Mayor of Etterbeek, called the situation “grotesque” and “ridiculous,” noting that it was “peculiar, perhaps even ridiculous, that Brussels Mobility received a complaint from another regional authority.” De Wolf has consistently defended the blocks as necessary for cyclist safety, stating that “the cycle paths between the Jubelpark and Montgomery Square are very important for people’s safety.”
Political Fallout and Local Opposition
The removal plan has reignited tensions between the Brussels-Capital Region and local communes. On July 17, 2026, the College of Mayor and Aldermen of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert sent a letter to Brussels Mobility, the regional Minister of Mobility, and the Brussels Minister-President denouncing what they called a “passage en force” (strong-arm tactic) by the regional authority. Mayor Olivier Maingain and Mobility Alderman Gregory Matgen claimed that their commune had not been consulted since 2022-2023.
Camille Thiry, spokesperson for Brussels Mobility, responded that the removal was “just a regularization” and part of the regional majority agreement, pushing back against accusations of unilateral decision-making.
Financial Waste Criticism
The episode has drawn sharp criticism over the financial cost of installing and then removing the infrastructure. As the article’s title — “Faire et défaire, ça coûte de l’argent” (“Building and unbuilding costs money”) — highlights, taxpayers are left bearing the cost of an experiment that ran for over four years without a permanent solution.
Supporters of the experiment argue that it provided valuable data on urban mobility and cyclist safety. The protected cycle paths at Montgomery have been used by thousands of cyclists daily, and advocates warn that their removal — even with replacement bollards and road markings — could compromise safety gains.
What Comes Next
Where the concrete blocks are removed, they will be replaced by bollards (potelets) and road markings. Some blocks will be retained at specific locations for safety reasons. However, the broader redevelopment of Montgomery square and Avenue de Tervueren remains uncertain, with no clear timeline for a permanent solution.
The case highlights the challenges of implementing mobility reforms in Brussels’ complex multi-level governance structure, where regional ambitions clash with local autonomy. It also raises questions about the sustainability of temporary urban experiments that, without proper planning and permitting, can become costly political flashpoints.
For now, the removal of the blocks marks a significant moment in Brussels’ ongoing mobility debate — one that underscores the tension between the urgent need for safer streets and the bureaucratic and political hurdles that stand in the way of lasting change.