Tournai’s Delwart Bridge Closes for Three-Month Renovation
The Delwart bridge in Tournai, Belgium, closed to all traffic on Monday, August 31, marking the start of a three-month rehabilitation project that will reshape a key section of the city’s R52 ring road. The €2.5 million works, funded by SOFICO (Société wallonne de financement complémentaire des infrastructures), will continue until Friday, November 27, according to RTBF.
The Project
The construction site targets the Delwart bridge and Boulevard Delwart between the Rond-point de l’Europe and the Rond-point du Viaduc, also known as Imagix. The bridge, built in the early 1950s, spans the Escaut river and measures 65 meters long, 18 meters wide, and over 6 meters high.
Héloïse Winandy, SOFICO spokesperson, explained the scope of the works: “These are works aimed at rehabilitating the upper surface of the Delwart bridge. Very concretely, we will replace the expansion joints of the structure, its waterproofing, its road surfaces, its sidewalks, its guardrails. We will also replace the supports of the structure, which will require lifting the bridge a few centimeters using hydraulic jacks.”
The project also includes renovating sidewalks, improving cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and revising bus lanes on Boulevard Delwart. The works are being carried out by the company Colas under the project management of the SPW Mobilité et Infrastructures.
Why Now?
The timing of the closure, just one week after the start of the school year, has raised questions among some motorists. SOFICO initially planned to begin the works in July during the summer holidays, but the City of Tournai opposed this timing.
“The holiday period would have been too short anyway, especially with the construction holidays,” said Vincent Lucas, Mobility Alderman of Tournai, as reported by RTBF. “I had especially told SOFICO that it was out of the question to close this Delwart bridge as long as the works on the Pont de Fer were not finished.”
The Pont de Fer (Iron Bridge), a neighboring crossing over the Escaut, had been closed from August 3-23 for its own renovation works as part of the broader quais Dumon-Sakharov redevelopment project. It reopened on August 24, just one week before the Delwart bridge closure, providing an alternative route across the river.
Traffic Impact and Diversions
A deviation system was activated early on the first day, directing traffic around the construction zone via the main boulevards of central Tournai. The main diversion routes include boulevards Léopold, Bara, Lalaing, Albert, Walter de Marvis, des Combattants, des Déportés, and des Nerviens, as detailed by L’Avenir.
Access to the CHwapi hospital (Notre-Dame site) is maintained through loop circulation systems, with reversal of traffic direction on quai Sakharov and one-way circulation on sections of Boulevard Delwart and avenue Delmée. The pedestrian and cyclist footbridge adjacent to the Delwart bridge remains accessible throughout the construction period.
On the first day, traffic was relatively fluid around the Rond-point de l’Europe, contrary to earlier fears. However, congestion was observed on alternative routes, particularly around the Pont de Fer, according to notélé.
Impact on Local Businesses
Two businesses are directly affected by the closure: a gas station and La Bourse aux Livres, a second-hand bookstore. Laurent Lemaire, the bookstore’s manager, acknowledged the challenge ahead.
“I know that the first few days, the whole first week, I won’t see many people,” Lemaire told RTBF. “People need to take the time to see how things are going, how to access my business. It’s still possible via the Escaut with an exit through the Europe roundabout. We know we’ll lose 10% or 20% of our revenue. But when you’re motivated to come to a business, I think you find the way anyway.”
Broader Context
The Delwart bridge works are part of a multi-phase R52 rehabilitation program. The first phase, at the Rond-point du Viaduc, was completed during the spring 2026 school holidays. A final phase involving the Rond-point de l’Europe will be scheduled during future school holidays.
The bridge itself has a storied history. The original structure was built between 1890 and 1892 as part of the city’s boulevard loop, but was dynamited by German forces on November 7, 1918, during their retreat at the end of World War I. The current bridge was constructed in the early 1950s and has undergone various works over the years, including adaptation works in 2020 for a belvedere and a renovation in 2023, as documented by RTBF.
What to Expect
A few days of complete closure between the two roundabouts will be necessary during the autumn school holidays to renew the road surface of Boulevard Delwart. The project is scheduled to conclude on November 27, after which normal traffic flow is expected to resume on the rehabilitated bridge and boulevard.
Residents and commuters are advised to plan alternative routes and allow extra travel time during the construction period. The final phase of the R52 rehabilitation at the Rond-point de l’Europe will be communicated at a later date.