Although farmer protesters dismantled their barricades at Courrière late on 12 January, a 12-kilometre stretch of the E411 between Wierde (exit 16) and Courrière remains closed for debris removal and emergency resurfacing. Provincial authorities report burnt tyres, smashed pallets and melted crash barriers after two days of demonstrations against the Mercosur trade pact.
Light vehicles are being funnelled onto the parallel N4, but lorries over 7.5 tonnes must follow a compulsory 55-kilometre diversion via the N97–N5–E42 corridor—adding roughly one hour to Brussels–Luxembourg transit times. Logistics operators serving the Ardennes industrial belt are warning clients of missed just-in-time slots and possible cold-chain breaches where reefers idle in traffic.
![E411 motorway clean-up forces 55-km detour for trucks despite end of weekend farm barricades]()
Companies whose drivers now find themselves rerouted through neighbouring countries can quickly verify any visa, passport or work-permit implications via VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/). The platform offers real-time alerts on entry requirements and transit rules, allowing mobility managers to prevent documentation snags when detours unexpectedly take trucks across French, German or Dutch borders.
For multinational employers, the closure disrupts commuter traffic to Luxembourg finance hubs and Charleroi-based aerospace plants. HR teams are advising posted workers to telework where possible and checking whether detours push cross-border drivers into daily rest-time infringements under EU Regulation 561/2006.
Road engineers expect to reopen the carriageway late on 14 January once structural inspections finish, but local governors caution that further farmer action could trigger fresh shutdowns. Mobility planners should pre-map alternative corridors and keep contingency budgets for hotel accommodation when long-haul drivers run out of permitted hours.
Light vehicles are being funnelled onto the parallel N4, but lorries over 7.5 tonnes must follow a compulsory 55-kilometre diversion via the N97–N5–E42 corridor—adding roughly one hour to Brussels–Luxembourg transit times. Logistics operators serving the Ardennes industrial belt are warning clients of missed just-in-time slots and possible cold-chain breaches where reefers idle in traffic.
Companies whose drivers now find themselves rerouted through neighbouring countries can quickly verify any visa, passport or work-permit implications via VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/). The platform offers real-time alerts on entry requirements and transit rules, allowing mobility managers to prevent documentation snags when detours unexpectedly take trucks across French, German or Dutch borders.
For multinational employers, the closure disrupts commuter traffic to Luxembourg finance hubs and Charleroi-based aerospace plants. HR teams are advising posted workers to telework where possible and checking whether detours push cross-border drivers into daily rest-time infringements under EU Regulation 561/2006.
Road engineers expect to reopen the carriageway late on 14 January once structural inspections finish, but local governors caution that further farmer action could trigger fresh shutdowns. Mobility planners should pre-map alternative corridors and keep contingency budgets for hotel accommodation when long-haul drivers run out of permitted hours.
