New bridge in Rostock: Focus on safety for pedestrians and cyclists!

New bridge in Rostock: Focus on safety for pedestrians and cyclists!

A new project is being launched in Rostock that is intended to significantly improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the area of ​​Ernst-Barlach-Straße and Mühlendamm. The aim of building a new bridge over the Bleichergraben is to defuse dangerous routes and help protect all road users. This becomes even more important after a tragic fatal accident in March 2024, in which a cyclist lost his life, drew much attention to the risks in this area, he said svz.de.

Construction work will begin on Monday, October 13th, with comprehensive subsoil investigations. These are scheduled to last until October 24th and include drilling and exploratory work, which will serve as the basis for further planning of the new bridge construction. The Rostock Society for Urban Renewal, Urban Development and Housing (RGS) is responsible for carrying out the investigations; the planning office Inros Lackner SE was commissioned.

Traffic restrictions and diversions

There will be traffic restrictions on Mühlendamm during the subsoil investigations. Pedestrians and cyclists have to move into the traffic lane, and the roadway is only used in one lane. In addition, the unpaved areas at the end point of Neue Bleicherstraße at Bleichergraben are closed and parking is no longer possible there from now on rathaus.rostock.de reported.

Traffic will be extensively rerouted during construction work: cyclists will be directed to Mühlendamm via the eastern old town, Bahnhofstrasse, Grubenstrasse, Mühlenstrasse and Am Bagehl. Pedestrians use the sidewalk on the northern side of Ernst-Barlach-Straße from the traffic lights at the Warnowstraße intersection. In order to increase safety, guardrails in red and white signal colors are installed in dangerous places and special attention areas are created on the sidewalks and cycle paths.

Long-term road safety measures

The city of Rostock is not only planning the bridge over the Bleichergraben, but is also striving to comprehensively improve the traffic situation. This is linked to long-term ideas that aim to minimize interference with the drinking water zone, which is worthy of protection. The Senator for Urban Planning, Construction, Climate Protection and Mobility, Dr. Ute Fischer-Gäde, emphasizes that this measure is intended to strengthen the safety of all road users at this critical point.

The project is part of the nationwide initiative to increase road safety. According to that Federal Ministry of Transport A total of 2,770 people died in road traffic in 2024. To counteract this worrying trend, federal, state and local politicians are pursuing the goal of “Vision Zero” – zero traffic fatalities. By 2030, the number of road deaths should be reduced by 40 percent. The construction of the new bridge is an important step towards getting closer to this goal.

With these measures, Rostock shows that it has a good hand for the safety of road users and is actively committed to a safe, livable city. The progress will certainly be watched with great interest by many.