The Flemish highway network experienced its most congested year on record in 2024. Traffic jams, accident rates, and incident response demands reached unprecedented levels, according to the annual report by the Vlaams Verkeerscentrum (Flemish Traffic Center). As the body marks its 25th anniversary, it faces the challenge of managing a traffic system increasingly pushed beyond its limits.
Last year saw an extraordinary 60 days when traffic jams exceeded 200 kilometers, nearly triple the number from just two years prior. Morning peak congestion averaged 159 kilometers of jams on Flemish highways, while evening peaks hit 145 kilometers, up from 2023. November 2024 went down as the most congested month ever recorded.
Antwerp at the center
Probably to no surprise, Antwerp continues to endure the worst of it. Morning congestion rose 7% and evening 13%, while Brussels followed closely, where heavy roadworks contributed to a staggering 17% increase in morning congestion and 29% in the evening. Commuters in both cities lose at least a fifth of their travel time to traffic jams, the Verkeerscentrum notes.
A problematic trend is that the issue extends beyond weekdays. Congestion during weekends is on the rise. This is driven partly by critical infrastructure works, such as upgrades to the Kennedy tunnel, and a notable shift in freight logistics.
With weekdays increasingly gridlocked, truck drivers opt to move goods during weekends, causing a ripple effect across ports, warehouses, and retail operations. Experts point to the benefits of a pay-per-mile scheme to counter the congestion increase.
The traditional work-from-home patterns that eased traffic during the pandemic are also fading. Monday traffic is rebounding sharply, particularly in cities like Ghent, where Monday morning rush hours now rival Tuesdays and Thursdays. Companies are returning to a more office-based schedule, in a bid to reconnect their employees and increase control.
Major accidents climbing
Meanwhile, accident management teams are busier than ever. An average of 26 traffic-disrupting accidents occurred daily in 2024, a new record. November alone saw an average of 33 such incidents per workday. Although improved registration partly explains the long-term increase, significant accidents have steadily climbed since 2021.
Early 2025 figures indicate no relief: January and February recorded the highest disruption accidents since tracking began. Yet there is a silver lining. The average time to clear accidents fell to 40.5 minutes in March 2025, down from nearly 50 minutes in 2021.
“Our traffic controllers constantly monitor the roads and respond immediately when incidents occur,” said Peter Bruyninckx, spokesperson for the Verkeerscentrum. Improved coordination with police, emergency services, and specialized towing units (FAST) is paying off.
An overhaul for the Verkeerscentrum
The Antwerp Ring (R1) remained the busiest stretch of highway, with over 126,000 vehicles daily between Borgerhout and Antwerpen-Oost. However, regarding saturation — traffic volume versus road capacity – Brussels takes the lead, occupying eight of the top ten most saturated segments.
The Verkeerscentrum is preparing for a significant technological upgrade to tackle these mounting challenges. By modernizing its aging dynamic traffic management systems and introducing artificial intelligence alongside advanced traffic data analytics, the agency hopes to respond to congestion and incidents more quickly and proactively in the years ahead.
