The CR154, the road linking Alzingen and Syren, will host the country’s first “chemin cyclable”, a shared road with dedicated cycle lanes. Unlike a fully segregated cycle path, this concept provides dedicated lanes for cyclists along both sides of the road, marked in red, while cars continue to use the central carriageway. The speed limit will be reduced to 50km/h.
Minister of Mobility and Public Works Yuriko Backes explained that motorists will still be able to drive along the middle of the road, but the red surfacing on either side will be reserved for cyclists. She described the project as a concept of coexistence, designed to ensure mutual respect between drivers and cyclists as they share the same space.
Red cycle lanes already exist in localities, but this is the first time the concept is being introduced outside a village as part of a pilot project.
Around €4 million is being invested in the scheme. The 6.5km stretch is due to be completed by summer 2027, extending the PC11 cycle route, which currently runs from Remich via Ellange to Hassel, as far as Alzingen.
At the launch event, Backes was joined not only by local officials but also by the mayors of Hesperange, Diane Adehm, and Weiler-la-Tour, Maurice Groben, who used the occasion to press for further improvements to cycling infrastructure.
Backes acknowledged that the demand for new and better facilities is high. She said she welcomes requests from mayors seeking support for new cycle paths and stressed that, although Luxembourg already has a solid network, there are still many gaps to fill. Expanding it requires coordination across ministries and, in some cases, acquiring land, which means progress cannot happen overnight, she explained.
Representatives of ProVelo, the association advocating for cyclists’ rights, also attended the ceremony. The organisation welcomed every additional kilometre added to the network. Its president, Monique Goldschmit, noted that cycling is now taken far more seriously than it was 15 years ago and that many projects are under way.
However, she criticised the length of time it often takes for projects to move from planning to completion and pointed out that some fail altogether because small parcels of land cannot be secured. In her view, it would sometimes be better to implement the feasible sections rather than abandon entire projects.
Regarding the Alzingen–Syren road, ProVelo said it would have preferred the route to be fully closed to car traffic, as had once been envisaged. The association now hopes motorists will respect the new 50km/h speed limit and maintain the legally required minimum distance of 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists, so that the pilot project can prove successful.
