Antwerp: tunnel closed to traffic. Route changes for trucks

A key route in the Port of Antwerp will be closed. On Saturday, March 21, the Tijsmans Tunnel will be impassable for 15 hours, forcing changes to routes for trucks and dangerous goods transport.

According to road authorities, the tunnel will be closed on Saturday, March 21, from 06:30 to 21:30. The reason is urgent repair work on several expansion joints in the tunnel wall, which requires a complete closure in both directions. Local traffic and ADR transport between Ghent and the Netherlands in both directions will be diverted via the A12 motorway, the Zandvliet junction [11], and the Scheldelaan road (N101).

❌ Transit traffic will be diverted via the Antwerp ring road (R1) and the Kennedy Tunnel.

The Frans Tijsmanstunnel is located on the R2 route, the northern part of Antwerp’s ring road. The tunnel runs under the Kanaaldok dock within the port area and is located near the Liefkenshoek Tunnel. Unlike the Liefkenshoek Tunnel, the Tijsmans Tunnel is toll-free.

The structure is 820 meters long, and the maximum permitted vehicle height is 4 meters. The tunnel has ADR category A, meaning that under normal conditions it is open to vehicles transporting dangerous goods.