Oosterweel Bypass Opens Toward Netherlands in Antwerp
The eastern carriageway of the Bypass, a temporary motorway built as part of the Oosterweel works around Antwerp, became fully operational toward the Netherlands at 8 a.m. on Saturday, VRT NWS reported. Traffic between Antwerp-East and the AFAS Dome now runs over the complete new stretch of the temporary motorway, moving across three narrowed lanes at a speed limit of 70 km/h. The milestone unlocks the next phase of the project: the further demolition of the Merksem viaduct, with the Schijnpoortweg closing from 1 October.
What is the Bypass?
The Bypass is a temporary motorway running alongside the Antwerp Ring, described by project builder Lantis as the single most important accessibility measure during the Oosterweel works. The Oosterweel connection is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Belgium: the completion and redevelopment of the Antwerp Ring (R1) to close the ring on its northern side, combining the Scheldt tunnel, canal tunnels, a below-grade Ring, and above-ground covers that will create new green space.
By diverting traffic onto the temporary motorway step by step, authorities free up space to demolish the existing Merksem viaduct and construct the new sunken Ring. The current raised viaduct physically blocks construction of the future sunken Ring and its links to the tunnels under the Albert Canal and the Scheldt, and has long been seen as a barrier separating neighbourhoods. The full Bypass carriageway toward the Netherlands was first opened partially on 25 October 2025.
Demolition of the Merksem Viaduct Resumes
With the carriageway now fully in use, work can advance on the viaduct itself. “On 1 October we begin demolishing the viaduct above the Schijnpoortweg,” said Laure Stuyck, spokesperson for Lantis. “The entire viaduct will remain for some time yet and will only disappear in 2028.”
The impact will be felt locally. The Schijnpoortweg will be fully closed from 22:00 on Thursday 1 October until 05:00 on Monday 5 October, then closed toward Antwerp city centre until 05:00 on Tuesday 6 October. A diversion for cyclists and pedestrians applies from 27 September. Lantis expects significant traffic disruption around Schijnpoort and advises road users to plan their journeys in advance, choose an alternative route or mode of transport where possible, and avoid the area.
Demolition of the Merksem viaduct formally began in November 2025, when Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder symbolically removed the first concrete pieces. Contractor ROCO removed roughly eleven bridge spans between the AFAS Dome and the Merksem exit in the first phase, with rubble processing continuing into early 2026.
Some finishing works on the newly opened carriageway remain. “Some temporary markings and a number of blocks still need to be placed or removed,” Stuyck said. “That can only happen once the section is effectively in use. The impact is limited. We carry out those works mainly at night, so that traffic experiences as little disruption as possible.” As a result, fewer lanes will be available on the Ring toward the Netherlands in the nights of Saturday to Sunday and Sunday to Monday.
A Step Toward the Sunken Ring
Officials framed the opening as a broader milestone for the region. “With the launch of this complete carriageway of the Bypass, we take another important step in realising the Oosterweel connection,” said De Ridder in an official press release. “This temporary motorway makes it possible to renew the Ring and demolish the Merksem viaduct, while keeping Antwerp—and by extension Flanders and the port—accessible.”
Koen Kennis, Antwerp Alderman for Mobility, credited cooperation between the various authorities. “Thanks to that joint approach, we can keep traffic flowing, absorb disruption better and keep the region accessible,” he said.
The next phase is already scheduled. At the end of November, a new section of the Bypass is due to open in the other direction—between Antwerp-North and the AFAS Dome, for traffic heading toward Ghent and Brussels. As more of the Bypass opens, the construction site shifts onward. According to Lantis, all traffic in both directions is expected to run over the Bypass in 2027, after which the viaduct can fully disappear. The overall Oosterweel programme is targeted for completion by 2033.
A Project Under Financial Scrutiny
The milestone comes against a backdrop of persistent debate over the project’s cost. A March 2026 VRT NWS report put the total figure at EUR 13.6 billion—nearly double the original estimate of around EUR 7 billion—citing the Court of Audit and Groen MP Bogdan Vanden Berghe, who warned that the financing model risks shifting costs to future generations. Lantis maintains that the effective construction cost remains around EUR 10 billion at 2024 prices, attributing the higher accounting figure to the valuation of the asset within its financial model.
For now, the focus is on the works in hand. With the eastern carriageway fully open and demolition of the viaduct set to advance from Thursday, the coming week will test whether the traffic measures hold up during one of the project’s more disruptive stretches—while attention increasingly turns to the northern carriageway due to open in late November.