The road surface on the connection loop in Machelen was replaced in 2015, but that connection handles tens of thousands of cars and trucks every working day. Due to the turning circle and the extra friction of the vehicle’s tires on the road surface, the asphalt also wears out faster. After six years, the asphalt in such a place is no longer in the best condition.
However, that is not the most acute problem. It is mainly the bridge joints. Built in the 1970s, although maintained, it is no longer the best of its kind. Anyone driving over it will feel a few successive jerks. A source at the federal police points to the combination of the state of the joints with the involvement of a striking number of small and lighter vehicles in accidents, and steering errors by motorists. The bridge joints cause a ‘bump’ that causes the vehicles to rise briefly. Especially when the road surface is wet, those cars will skid. At that time, many drivers react incorrectly. They will oversteer to the left and then sometimes first hit the guardrails on the inside and then they are catapulted against the guardrails on the right to the outside of the bend. Especially the first joint at the beginning of the bend would be a problem.
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