Limburg’s ‘Cycling through Heathland’ bridge ready in May

Limburg cyclists soon will have a new cycling attraction. In May, the first cyclists will be able to inaugurate the new cycling bridge in Opgrimbie (northern part of Maasmechelen, Limburg). The new 6,5-meter high bridge is the showpiece in the new ‘Fietsen door de Heide’ (Cycling through Heathland) route.

The panoramic bridge is 294 meters long and offers a view over the woods and heathland of the national park. It crosses the road to Zutendaal where the bike trail exits the Mechelse Heide, one of Flanders largest heathlands (700 hectares). It’s part of Belgium’s sole National Park, called ‘Hoge Kempen’.

Safe crossing

“Fietsen door de Heide is a new attraction for cyclists,” explains Igor Philtjens, deputy for Tourism in Het Belang van Limburg. “It’s a new connection between Maasmechelen en Zutendaal. It’s a safe crossing place, situated on the existing bicycle network, linking junctions 550 and 551.

During the works, also the road to Zutendaal will be adapted in favor of cyclists. The zone at the bend will be narrowed to force drivers to slow down. Speed will be limited to 50 km/hour. As soon as the bridge will be ready, the bicycle path will be finished with a dolomite layer.

‘Bicycle paradise’

‘Fietsen door de Heide’ will become part of Limburg’s touristic program, just like ‘Fietsen door het Water’ (Cycling through the Water) in Bokrijk, and ‘Fietsen door de Bomen’ (Cycling through the Trees), in Hechtel-Eksel.

Limburg was already known as ‘bicycle paradise’, but since the corona outbreak, cycling in Limburg is more popular than ever. No wonder, the eastern province of the country has an attractive bicycle network and more than 2 000 km of safe, asphalted, and almost car-free routes.