Now that the preparatory works have been completed, the actual infrastructure works on the on- and off-ramps of the E17 in Waregem began on 19 April. This took place in the presence of Minister Lydia Peeters and the mayors of the towns and municipalities involved, namely Kurt Vanryckegem (Waregem), Gino Devogelaere (Anzegem), Claude Croes (Deerlijk) and Alain Top (Harelbeke). The complex will be completely redesigned as a braided interchange to improve traffic flow and road safety.
First, the Anzegem side will be worked on. These works will last until mid-June, after which it will be the turn of the other side, the Waregem side. If the schedule can be maintained, these works will be finished by mid-September.
Fun fact: it was a citizen who contacted AWV in late 2016 to highlight the existence of the Diverging Diamond Interchange technique, which at present is mainly used in the United States. The engineering firm in charge then checked whether this method was feasible. After conducting simulations and thorough research, it appeared that this was indeed the best solution for Waregem.
