Which Brussels roads should travellers avoid during Monday’s funeral procession?

Francotte, a sergeant-major in the Brussels Fire Brigade’s 21st company, died on 14 August during an intervention following a gas leak at a building on Treurenberg in central Brussels. BRUZZ reported, citing the Brussels labour prosecutor’s office, that two explosions killed Francotte and seriously injured another firefighter and two Sibelga employees. BX1 said the leak followed accidental damage to a low-pressure gas pipe during building work; the precise sequence and responsibilities remain under investigation.

Monday’s procession is therefore not simply another traffic event. The temporary restrictions allow emergency-service colleagues and relatives to accompany a firefighter who died on duty. For residents and commuters, the considerate response is to avoid the route where possible, keep crossings clear and expect police to reopen individual sections only after the cortège has passed.

The funeral restrictions are temporary, but they coincide with longer-running works and the return of school traffic. Around the Barrière de Saint-Gilles/Bareel van Sint-Gillis, STIB-MIVB and Brussels Mobility are renewing tram tracks and rebuilding public space. STIB-MIVB says tram 81 is interrupted over part of its normal route, while temporary bus 96 provides replacement connections on affected sections; tram 97 is not operating. Travellers should verify their particular route in the STIB-MIVB application or journey planner because stops and replacement-bus routings can change as work advances.

The bilingual names matter in Brussels. A map, stop display or municipal notice may use either Barrière de Saint-Gilles and Avenue du Parc or Bareel van Sint-Gillis and Parklaan. Likewise, Gare du Midi is Brussel-Zuid, Trinité is Drievuldigheid and Avenue de l’Héliport is Helihavenlaan. These are not different destinations. Searching both French and Dutch names can make disruption notices easier to find, especially for newcomers.

People driving to Brussels Airport face a separate constraint outside the Brussels-Capital Region. The Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic, Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, says the N227 tunnel beneath runway 07R/25L at Steenokkerzeel remains completely closed until the planned reopening on 14 September. Additional damage was found in the upper part of the concrete floor slab after the asphalt was removed, although the agency says the tunnel structure itself is in good condition. Cars are being diverted via the E40, while pedestrians and cyclists have separate local diversions. The agency specifically warns that the start of the school year is likely to increase traffic and recommends checking Verkeerscentrum before departure.

For live road conditions, use the Brussels Mobility traffic service, available in French and Dutch through the Brussels regional portal, and check police instructions around the procession. Public-transport passengers should consult STIB-MIVB’s app or website shortly before travelling rather than assuming their usual tram or bus stop is served. SNCB-NMBS passengers can use the Belgian Train app for rail connections, while airport-bound motorists should check both the regional traffic feed and Vlaanderen’s Verkeerscentrum.

If a journey crosses several affected districts, the metro or train may provide a more predictable backbone than a surface bus or car, although access to stations can still be slowed by displaced traffic. Anyone with a flight, medical appointment or fixed check-in time should leave a larger margin than usual. Cyclists and pedestrians may be able to cross areas that cars cannot, but police can briefly hold all road users while the funeral convoy passes.

The immediate procession-related closures were scheduled to ease after 11:00, subject to operational decisions on the ground. The wider mobility picture will take longer to normalise: the Saint-Gilles works continue in phases, and the N227 airport tunnel is not expected to reopen before 14 September. Travellers should therefore treat Monday’s named roads as the immediate axes to avoid while keeping the same habit for future journeys: check the official bilingual feeds, confirm the status of replacement services and leave room for plans to change.