Flanders is warning drivers of major disruption on the E34 at Zelzate, where the Zelzatetunnel will be completely closed in both directions for two full weekends: from Friday 24 April at 21:00 until Monday 27 April at 05:00, and again from Friday 8 May at 21:00 until Monday 11 May at 05:00. The closures are part of road surface renewal works.
The Flemish Traffic Centre says there will be no passage through the tunnel in either direction during those weekend windows. Local traffic will be diverted above ground via the R4 ring road around Ghent and the Zelzate bridge, while long-distance traffic is being advised to avoid the area and use the E17 and E40 instead.
Before the first full weekend closure, the tunnel is also scheduled to shut overnight in the direction of Bruges/Knokke on 20, 21 and 22 April, each time from 21:00 to 05:00, also for resurfacing works. The Flemish tunnel calendar further states that regular night closures are planned between 7 April and the morning of 5 May, depending on direction.
According to the official tunnel calendar, the Zelzatetunnel carries traffic under the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal on the E34 at Zelzate. During normal maintenance closures, traffic is diverted locally via the R4 and the nearby Zelzate bridge. The route is also relevant for freight moving between Antwerp, the Ghent area and the Belgian coast, so weekend closures are likely to add time to east-west journeys and increase pressure on alternative routes. That last point is an inference based on the official diversion advice and the tunnel’s position on the E34 corridor.
More major road disruptions this week:
Major tunnel closures start next week
Italy’s six-day truck stoppage raises cross-border freight risk
New France-UK border rule starts in days: no ELO, no crossing
