Requalification of the Meuse quays in Liège: an urban project for active mobilities

New links for a cyclopedestrian continuity

The city of Liège continues its transformation, with the quays of the left bank of the Meuse, Centre-Ville and Fragnée, being affected. In 2015, the Meuse quays were redeveloped, offering a harmonious sharing of public space between pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. The redevelopment included a wide riverside promenade and gardens on Avenue Blonden. The two sectors, Centre-Ville and Fragnée, had not been transformed. The creation of these missing links therefore allows for a continuous route for soft modes of transport.

Targeted interventions on the strategic nodes of Fragnée and Kennedy

For the two sectors, totaling approximately 1.5 km in length, the interventions are in the form of classic linear interventions, i.e., across the entire width of the roadway continuously. The entire structure, including the pavement, foundation, and sub-foundation, is rebuilt. The goal is to widen the cyclopedestrian spaces and limit the lanes dedicated to cars. These spaces are mostly 4 meters wide for cycling and 2 meters for pedestrians. Where this configuration is not possible, the space is mixed, with a width of 4 meters.

The nodes of Fragnée and Kennedy, however, are subject to more particular interventions. Under the Kennedy bridge, the throat is completely modified. To reduce the “tunnel” effect of this throat, the walls of the ramps are shortened, opening up the space. The new cycle path that passes under the bridge is raised above the road level for better comfort on the cycle route. This comfort is enhanced by the greening of the area to separate the modes.

For the pavement, concrete has been chosen. Durable, versatile, and requiring little maintenance, this material also reinforces the homogeneity of the project, as it was already present in the existing developments.

Shared, modular, and everyday-adapted spaces

The aim of these redevelopments is to widen the cyclopedestrian spaces and create multi-use and multi-generational spaces. To avoid compartmentalization between pedestrians and cyclists, the choice was made to create modular spaces rather than a set of parallel corridors. Uses indeed vary depending on the timing (hour, day, month). Enhanced vegetation on different sections contributes to this objective.

This project is part of a broader perspective, linked to the creation of the tram line and the reorganization of the bus network into a fishbone pattern: parallel bus lines are removed, and secondary lines are redirected perpendicularly to the tram stops.