From Monday 1 December, the Kastanjedreef — a key artery through Tervuren — will reopen, allowing traffic to pass through the park after months of disruption linked to construction of the F29 cycle highway. The works, carried out by De Werkvennootschap, form the final section of the new Leuven–Tervuren–Brussels fast cycle route.
While minor finishing touches will continue in the coming weeks, the municipality says these will not impede motorists, cyclists or pedestrians.
The reopening marks a significant shift in local mobility. Since the road was closed on 4 August, the absence of the park route has placed added pressure on the Duisburgsesteenweg, Tervuren’s main entrance road, prompting congestion and safety concerns.
Traffic tensions may now ease. Former mayor Marc Charlier (N-VA) has said that traffic levels — and therefore risks — should fall sharply once drivers regain access to the park.
The €20 million F29 project has been under strict time pressure due to NextGeneration EU funding rules, which require completion before 31 December 2025. Sebastiaan Coudré, Tervuren’s infrastructure alderman (CD&V, Voor Tervuren), maintained that the Christmas deadline would be met — and it has.
“Good news: the works on the Kastanjedreef are finished, and from Monday the road will reopen to traffic. The engine of Voor Tervuren is running!” said Coudré. Working by day for a multinational engineering firm, the alderman is seen as bringing additional expertise to the €59,881-per-year position, and follows in the footsteps of his father, himself a former infrastructure alderman.
The F29 will offer an alternative route for cyclists travelling between Leuven, Tervuren and Brussels. With the Kastanjedreef now reopening on schedule, Tervuren’s Voor Tervuren coalition — combining Open VLD and CD&V — is positioning the project as both a mobility upgrade and a demonstration of administrative delivery.