Wuhlheide bridge: Finally free travel for the trams again!

Wuhlheide bridge: Finally free travel for the trams again!

Berlin-Oberschöneweide, Deutschland - The tram route on the Wuhlheide in Berlin-Oberschöneweide will be released again this morning. This was announced by the Berlin Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). The first trains roll shortly after 5 a.m. For the initial phase, a shuttle traffic of the M17 line has been set up every 10 minutes between Blockdammweg and S-Bahnhof Schöneweide. However, detours for the other tram lines remain. The replacement traffic is also set by bus.

The closure of the route had become necessary because the Wuhlheide bridge was classified as at risk of collapse. From Saturday, all tram lines in this area should run again as usual. A transition period is required to adapt the information systems as well as service and timetables. Pedestrians and cyclists can get from Treskowallee to Edisonstrasse from today. Currently security items regulate traffic at the intersection, since no traffic lights have yet been installed.

background of the closure

Traffic Senator Ute Bonde (CDU) announced the release of the demolished bridge part for tram traffic on Thursday. At that time there were already numerous traffic disruptions on the street and rail. The bridge had been closed since the end of April due to increasing cracks. The demolition of the bridge started on Saturday and the entire area has been blocked for traffic since the previous week.

Conservation items should allow access to the area for ambulances, the police and fire brigade. From 9 a.m. on Thursday, emergency vehicles could also pass the area. The BVG planned to complete the restoration of the tram connection between Schöneweide and Blockdammweg as soon as possible. The tracks had to be checked after the demolition work before the overhead lines could be rebuilt.

traffic disruptions and construction progress

The traffic disruptions were particularly tightened by the interruptions of several tram lines on the Köpenicker side. These were isolated, without a connection to the rest of the tram network. Relief is planned for car traffic until June 6, 2025, depending on the progress of the construction work and the weather conditions. Six of a total of nine construction fields have already been demolished, and the entire construction site should be completed by June 27 at the latest.

The reporting on these developments and the associated challenges in local public transport is also part of the main topics that are presented in the annual report of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). The report summarizes the activities of the VDV and contains comprehensive representations of developments in the industry and among the association members, as explained in the vdv-year report