After two years, cyclists can now travel directly from Belval to the centre of Esch-sur-Alzette via a newly completed bicycle path.
The connection marks the final stretch of a project that began in late 2022 with the inauguration of Europe’s longest bicycle bridge – a €50 million structure. However, until now, the path ended near the Boulevard Prince Henri roundabout, leaving cyclists unable to reach the city centre. As of Friday, a bidirectional bicycle path finally links Boulevard Prince Henri to Rue du Canal.
Meris Šehović, a member of the municipal executive board (“Schäfferot”), explained that the Esch municipal council only recently decided to extend the bicycle path further along Rue du Canal. To accommodate cyclists, traffic calming measures were implemented, allowing a seamless route from Belval – over the bicycle bridge and through Boulevard Prince Henri – all the way to Esch’s town hall.
Beyond infrastructure, the municipality is also promoting soft mobility through other initiatives, such as maintaining bicycle taxi services during the summer months. Šehović noted high demand for the service, prompting the town to purchase additional units. “They are now a permanent fixture throughout spring and summer”, he said.
As bicycles gradually replace cars in Esch, the reduction in parking spaces has raised concerns among some business owners. Antonio Catanho, a restaurant owner on Rue du Canal, reported a 40–50% drop in lunchtime customers: “In the evening, it’s fine because people have time. But at lunch, when they only have an hour, they don’t come – there’s nowhere to park.”
The Esch business association and Šehović confirmed that a meeting will take place next week.
Meanwhile, Rue du Canal residents have largely welcomed the traffic calming measures.
