Spoorlijn en laatste overgebleven voetgangersbrug over de Zenne tussen Weerde en Hofstade

Railway line and the very last pedestrian bridge over the Senne between Weerde and Hofstade.
On the other side of the line (southwest, towards the Schumanlaan), there was a second passage over the Senne, destroyed in 2010.

Ferraris' online maps show that around 1770 Weerde was connected to Eppegem and Elewijt (http://www.kbr.be/collections/cart_plan/ferraris/ferraris_nl.html). The passage over the Senne from Weerde to Elewijt is an extension of the Dorpstraat and passes over the Senne towards the Hauwlandweg; Eppegem and Elewijt are on the right. To get to Elewijt, turn left a little further until you reach Rubens Castle (where there was - and still is - a bridge over the Barebeek) and behind the castle, turn left into the Steendreef to Elewijt.
According to this map, the connection between Weerde and Hofstade (over the Senne and the Barebeek) was provided by a passage further north (former Brusselsesteenweg?), after which the Senne was followed on its right bank (current location of the E19) with, a little further, an exit to the north above the Barebeek (current Barebeek promenade path towards the bridge over the Zemstsesteenweg.)

With the arrival of railway line 27B (Weerde-Muizen-Mechelen-Wavre-Sainte-Catherine, see http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoorlijn_27B), which was supposed to relieve congestion on line 27 (Vilvoorde-Mechelen), not only were the Hofstade ponds dug, but slow tracks between Weerde and Hofstade station were built over the Senne and Barebeek. This route has been used for generations, not only for the better rail connection with Brussels, but also because the connection between these two neighbouring villages was a little easier. During the sunny days of "Hofstade-Bad", this slow route was the fastest route to the beach and Oud-België.

For more information on the construction of the E19, which cut all slow lanes between the neighbouring municipalities of Weerde and Hofstade, see: http://wegen-routes.be/doss/A1n.html

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