Avenue Louise

Louizalaan (Dutch) or Avenue Louise (French) is one of the most important thoroughfares of Brussels. It runs SE from Louise Square to the Bois de la Cambre or Ter Kamerenbos, covering a distance of 2,7 kilometers (1,65 miles).

History

The construction of Avenue Louise was commissioned in 1847 as a monumental avenue bordered by chestnut trees that would allow easy access to the popular recreational area of the Bois de la Cambre. It was also to be the first Haussmann-esque artery of the city. The name was chosen in honor of King Leopold II's eldest daughter, Princess Louise-Marie.

However, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the town of Ixelles (which was then still separate from Brussels) through whose land the avenue was supposed to run. After years of fruitless negotiations, Brussels finally annexed the narrow band of land needed for the avenue plus the Bois de la Cambre itself in 1864. That decision accounts for the unusual shape of today's City of Brussels and for Ixelles being split in two separate parts.

Landmarks

Today, Avenue Louise houses many upmarket shops, exclusive restaurants and offices. From north to south, notable landmarks include:

*Louise Square, a crucial transportation nexus including a tramway and metro station. The Law Courts of Brussels are nearby.
*Stéphanie Square, another extremely busy square surrounded by luxury shops. The tree-bordered part of the avenue begins here.
*The Louise Tower, also known as the "Generali Tower", one of the tallest office buildings in Brussels.
*The intersection with the "Chaussée de Vleurgat / Vleurgatsteenweg" (which leads downhill to the nearby Flagey Square) dominated by the Blue Tower skyscraper.
*The scenic King's Garden ("Tuin van de Koning" or "Jardin du Roi"), a garden descending toward the nearby Ixelles Ponds.
*Olivier Strebelle's 16-ton bronze sculpture "Le Phénix 44" which commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of Brussels, located in the roundabout at King's Garden.
*The Sélys Longchamps Square, which features several statues, the entrance to the Abbey of La Cambre/Ter Kameren, and the massive IT Tower.
*A roundabout flanked by two twin neoclassical pavilions ending the avenue. Beyond it lies the Bois de la Cambre.

Tramway line 94 runs the entire length of the avenue.

The "Louise bottleneck"

The 250-meter (830 ft)- long part of Avenue Louise between the Louise and Stephanie squares is called "le goulet Louise", or "the Louise bottleneck". With several tramway lines and thousands of cars sharing this very narrow segment of the avenue, huge traffic jams during rush hours occur here daily. The problem was already obvious in the early 1980s, so a tram tunnel under the bottleneck was built along with the metro station on Louise Square. However, construction was abandoned toward its end due to protests of local businesses fearing losses if patrons were to be diverted through a tunnel. [ [http://www.eurobru.com/defis-91.htm La saga du goulet Louise] - EuroBRU.com - Retrieved July 12, 2007.]

The nearly-completed, vast tramway tunnel under the Louise bottleneck remains unused as of 2007. Various solutions to the traffic problem are being considered. One of them proposes pedestrianizing the whole segment, with trams running on the surface and only delivery vehicles authorized at certain hours. Another one, much more costly, involves finishing the tunnel and diverting all trams underground.

References