No more free parking on Scheldt quays: parking closes th… (Antwerp)
The free parking on the Scheldt quays on Sint-Michielskaai in Antwerp will close from 15 November. That is suddenly the end of free parking on the Scheldt quays. The parking lot at Sint-Michielskaai has space for approximately 180 cars.
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The first phase of an archaeological investigation on the Scheldt quays on Sint-Michielskaai started on 1 September. The research conducted in the reconstruction of the Scheldt quays, the stabilization of the quay wall and the raising of the flood defence. The car park between Vlaanderenstraat and Arsenaalstraat is no longer accessible. The part of the car park between Vlaanderenstraat and Rijkenhoek will also close from Monday 8 November.
The second phase will start on Monday 15 November and will cover the part of the car park between Goedehoopstraat and Arsenaalstraat. The entire parking lot will then be permanently closed. Motorists can use the public car park Steendok, car park Zuiderterras, car park ‘t Zuid, car park Zuiderplein or car park Rijnkaai.
The Plantinkaai neighborhood car park will remain open to residents of the Sint-Andries, Historisch Centrum and Theaterbuurt-Meir resident zones. Residents who park here and have not registered in advance pay a parking fee of 39 euros per 24 hours.
After the Gedempte Zuiderdokken, the free parking on the Scheldt quays will therefore also come to an end.
“I don’t think many visitors to the city remember that they could park for free at Sint-Michielskaai,” says Koen Kennis (N-VA), Antwerp’s alderman for Mobility. “The phasing out of free car parks has been underway for some time. Visitors can park their cars in the public car parks in the city. They are already being put to good use. Via the parking guidance system, they can see how they should drive and in which parking spaces there is still space.”
The ships prefer that visitors to the city leave the car at the Park & Rides and continue their journey by public transport. Soon the new parking buildings will open where the visitor first pays 1 euro to park for a day.
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With the roll-out of residential areas in the 16th century city center, visitors will also be filmed to park their car there. Only residents are allowed to park there. A visitor who parks her car there anyway would risk a fine. This will not be a short term thing.
“We first want to furnish the residential areas,” says Kennis. “In addition, a solution is needed for, for example, home nurses or plumbers who have to be with a resident of a residential area.” svw