"It was a race against time, but the work progressed quickly" - Paterberg cleared for E3 Saxo Classic and Tour of Flanders after landslide

As we reported some time ago, the Paterberg was in danger of being impassable for the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders due to a landslide. Things are looking more positive now though.

The mayor of Kluisbergen, Philippe Willequet, told Het Nieuwsblad that the repair work will be completed on time after all. According to Willequet, the problem has now been resolved. The road could be reopened to traffic on Friday evening, as all the repairs had gone well. This means that the famous Paterberg can continue to be part of the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour des Flandres.

"The asphalt will be applied on Thursday. The road will be reopened on Friday evening. We will also put up a barrier so that no driver falls into the abyss if they end up next to the road. You never know. The concrete at the top of the ramp will be hard enough to open this section too. It was a race against time, but the work progressed quickly. The slabs were laid smoothly," says the mayor.

The problem of subsidence at the top of the climb would have made the historic, striking route over the Paterberg impassable for cyclists, as the riders race down the slope from there via the Middelloopstraat over lots of cobblestones. However, as the ground had eroded to over 50 meters and a landslide threatened to obstruct the work due to bad weather, the passage remained closed to all traffic for weeks and it was not certain whether the repair work could be completed in time, as there were fears of further subsidence.