Montréal, 20 May 2026

A historic moment for Belgian tunnelling. At the closing ceremony of the ITA World Tunnel Congress 2026 in Montréal, the ITA flag was officially handed over to the Organising Committee of ITA WTC2027 Antwerp, marking the formal transition to Belgium as the next host country of the world’s leading tunnelling congress.

The flag handover, a cherished tradition at every World Tunnel Congress, symbolises the passing of the torch from one host city to the next. This year, the moment carried extra significance: for the first time since 1980, the flag returns to Belgium.

The ceremony was attended by Consul General of Belgium in Montreal, Mr. Wilfried Pfeffer, who was present to officially receive the flag on behalf of Belgium. His presence underlined the importance of this occasion not just for the tunnelling community, but for Belgium as a whole.