Belgian Contractor Renovates Wrong Bridge in Charleroi Near Brussels

charleroi, belgium - The city council of Charleroi, Belgium, is addressing a peculiar mistake where a contractor renovated the wrong bridge. The mix-up resulted in new railings being installed on the wrong bridge, sparking a discussion on ownership and compensation.

The city council of Charleroi in Belgium is meeting to discuss an unusual error made by a contractor who renovated the wrong bridge. Recently, new railings were placed on a bridge over the Brussels-Charleroi canal. However, these railings were meant for a bridge in Roux, a few hundred meters away. Both bridges are nearly identical, constructed around the same time, and had worn-out railings. The bridge in Charleroi is owned by the city, while the one in Roux is part of the Walloon Region.

Sarah Pierre, spokeswoman for the Public Service of Wallonia (SPW), confirmed to RTBF TV station, "Unfortunately, the contractor made a mistake with the bridge." It seems a double-check of the exact location for the renovation works was overlooked before commencing.

Although the city of Charleroi could dispute the bill, they do not plan to do so. Eric Goffart from the political party Les Engagés cites the Belgian Civil Code, stating, "If a third party carries out work in good faith on someone else's property, the owner of that property owes compensation to the person who did the work." This situation is somewhat advantageous for Charleroi as both bridges required new railings.

The mix-up occurred months ago but only came to light recently when the local newspaper La Nouvelle Gazette noticed the peculiar agenda item on the city council's meeting. Goffart told BFMTV, "Removing new railings to replace them with the old worn-out ones makes little sense." The SPW has now issued a new tender to install new railings on the bridge in Roux, and the work has already been completed. Sarah Pierre also mentioned to De Morgen that "the individual responsible for liaising with the contractor no longer works for our services."