Temporary village footbridge in the centre of Ingelmunster

The footbridge was erected in mid-2017 in anticipation of the new central bridge that will connect the station area with the village centre.

De Waterwegen en Zeekanalen, NV, which is responsible for the Roeselare-Leie canal, is asking for the current bridge to be adapted. They foresee a strong growth in shipping on the Roeselare Leie canal in the future, partly due to the planned construction of a container terminal in Roeselare. To enable shipping to this planned terminal, the clearance height of our bridge must be increased by 1.4 metres.

To ensure that 2 ships can pass under the bridge, the width of the canal will also be addressed. At the Centrumbrug, the narrowing will disappear and the canal will have a normal width.
Open and light arch structure
The new Centre Bridge has a length of 286 metres. The light and open structure ensures that the green banks can be further developed into a coherent landscape around the Roeselare-Leie canal and the Mandel. An elongated opening will be provided between the lanes that will also provide daylight under the bridge. The same materials are used as for the renovated market square. The abutments of the bridge will be provided with masonry, so that the new bridge fully integrates into its surroundings.

Designers of the new bridge: TV 360°architects, Ney & Partners and Bureau Bas Smets.

Less steep bridge follows changed route
There will be two lanes on the new bridge with bicycle and pedestrian paths on both sides. With gradients of up to 4%, the new bridge is easy to drive on for cyclists. There will be a staircase on each side of the bridge so that there is a smooth connection to the towpath for walkers. The immediate vicinity of the new Centre Bridge will also be addressed. The Stationsstraat, from the intersection with the Waterstraat to the turning basin, will be reconstructed and parking spaces and a bicycle shed will be built under the bridge.

On the station side, the new bridge follows a modified route: the abutment - that is the structure on which the bridge rests - and the new access road are bundled next to the train tracks. The existing level crossing for car traffic in the Kleine Izegemstraat will disappear in the future. In its place will be a safe tunnelling of the tracks for cyclists and pedestrians. The station square, from the Handelsstraat to the start of the current bridge, will become a residential area with a view of the new park landscape.

European inland waterway transport project
The works on the Ingelmunster Centre Bridge are part of the large-scale Seine-Scheldt inland shipping project, which is supported by the European Union. The project aims to make inland shipping a fully-fledged alternative to road freight transport. Less congested roads, more safety and a cleaner environment are the result.

Ships with a larger cargo capacity can bring more goods to their destination in one go. They are also becoming more common on our waterways. This requires higher bridges, so that these ships can pass smoothly. That is why the bridge in Ingelmunster over the Roeselare-Leie canal, an important traffic zone, will be replaced by a new one.

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