The Margaretatunnel on the tangent in Mechelen is open again. The tunnel was closed on Sunday evening as pieces of fire-resistant plaster fell from the ceiling, but the situation has now been deemed safe again. Municipal councilor Thijs Verbeurgt of opposition party Vooruit demands full transparency about safety because it is not the first incident on the new connecting road.

According to GVA The plasterwork in the tunnel will be checked further in the coming days. To do this, the tunnel shaft must be closed for each direction of travel, as during a classic maintenance closure. The inspection will start on Tuesday evening, August 16 at 20 pm and will probably take a few nights. Motorized traffic in the direction of Mechelen-South will be diverted via the Mechelen-North complex. The tube towards Douaneplein will then remain open for through traffic.

plastering

The tangent was closed on Sunday evening around 20 p.m. to traffic between the intersections with Leuvensesteenweg and Jubellaan. In the Margaret Tunnel, gravel came down from the ceiling. The emergency procedure in the tunnel thus came into effect. This means that the barriers were closed, the signaling was adjusted and the police also arrived on the spot to ensure that no one was driving through the tunnel.

It would be fairly large pieces of plaster, but it is not known whether cars were also damaged. The cause of the breakage is also unknown at this time. Maybe the heat has something to do with it.