Willemen Infra and Franki Construct have been appointed by AWV to redesign the Aarschotbaan and Liersesteenweg (N10) between Wouwerstraat in Heist-op-den-Berg and Houwstraat in Berlaar. There will be new sewers and separate cycle paths along the N10. At the junction with the Mechelsesteenweg (N15), the existing fabiolarotonde will be converted into an oval with bicycle tunnels. One of the arms will become the new access road for a future SME zone. Over the entire stretch between Wouwerstraat and Houwstraat, the top layer will be renewed.

Roundabout
Roundabout Fabiola, named after the former dancing at the intersection, is located at the junction of Liersesteenweg (N10) and Mechelsesteenweg (N15). Besides a complete renovation of the cycle paths along the N10 in Heist-op-den-Berg, Putte and Berlaar, Wegen en Verkeer also looked at the intersections along the route. For this sub-project, the project zone extends from the intersection with Houwstraat in Berlaar to the intersection with Wouwerstraat in Heist-op-den-Berg. The Fabiola roundabout will be completely redesigned.

The current roundabout is a dangerous point for the many cyclists who pass it every day. Moreover, we expect future traffic flow problems on the existing roundabout when the new industrial zone on the south side is developed. To substantially improve road safety and traffic flow, a large oval roundabout with two lanes, also known as a 'turbo roundabout', will be built.

Liersesteenweg will connect to the roundabout on both sides, with two lanes in each direction. The Mechelsesteenweg then connects to the ovonde with two lanes each for traffic entering the ovonde and one lane for traffic leaving the ovonde.

The ovonde will have a fifth branch connecting to Wouwerstraat, the future Colruyt site. This access road will have one lane each to enter and exit the ovonde and will serve as the main access for the future SME zone. In addition, the Wouwerstraat junction with the N10 for exiting traffic will be retained. The entirety of these adjustments will ensure smooth and safe access to the SME zone.

Safer cycling infrastructure
Together with the roundabout, the entire cycling infrastructure will also be renewed. AWV chose to build bicycle tunnels so that car and freight traffic and cyclists no longer have to cross each other. This greatly increases the safety of the gentle road users. The tunnels are also designed to allow plenty of light to enter, making for a more pleasant experience.

A total of five bicycle tunnels will be constructed. The cycle paths converge in a square in the middle of the oval. This will allow cyclists to continue their route in any direction from this square, without having to cross the road once.

Both the cycle tunnels and the cycle paths along the N10 towards Begijnendijk and Mechelsesteenweg are two-way cycle paths. The tunnel and the cycle path along the N10 towards Berlaar are one-way cycle paths because of the connection with the one-way cycle paths on the Liersesteenweg towards Berlaar.

Together with the redesign of the roundabout, we will also renovate the N10 between Wouwerstraat and Houwstraat. There will be new cycle paths, which will be separate from the roadway. The one-way cycle paths will be at least 2m wide, the two-way cycle paths at least 2m50. In most cases, the bike path will be located behind the existing verge or ditch. In places where there is not enough space, the bike paths will be elevated and, where possible, there will be a green strip between bike path and roadway.

Separate sewer system
As we will be working on the cycle path, we will take the opportunity to carry out a thorough renewal of the sewerage system at the same time. The sewerage authorities will install a separate sewerage system that collects and discharges rainwater and wastewater separately. Each building along the N10 will then get an additional connection point to drain wastewater and rainwater separately.