Flemish roads saw record traffic in past 12 months

Never before have there been such heavy traffic jams on Flemish roads than in the past 12 months. Congestion figures have been on the rise for years but the trend has continued upwards, according to Statistics Flanders.

To calculate the severity of traffic jams, the length of the jam is combined with the duration of the congestion. Results are reported in kilometre hours, with 100 kilometre hours being the equivalent of 100 kilometres of traffic jams for one hour. Over the past year (from August 2023 to July 2024), the severity of congestion has averaged 897 kilometre hours per working day, which means there was an average of 897 kilometres of traffic jams for one hour every working day. An all-time record. 

The severity of traffic jams has been on the rise for years. There was a peak in May 2018, which was followed by a limited decline and then a very sharp drop from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, the 12-month average of congestion severity rose again for the first time since the start of the pandemic. From July 2023, it has been reaching record highs. ​ 

Most and longest traffic jams occur in the regions of Antwerp and Brussels. The Ghent region and the rest of Flanders experience much less congestion on the main roads.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Traffic jam after an accident with a truck laying down on the E40 (A3) Aachen-Liege-Brussels in Milmort © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}