Wismar High Bridge: Who will pay the 23 million euros for the new building?

Wismar High Bridge: Who will pay the 23 million euros for the new building?

The Wismar High Bridge is in urgent need of a renovation, and planning for the replacement building is in full swing. The bridge, which is important for both urban and regional traffic and is classified as part of State Road 12, is checked for changes every year. However, the condition has continued to deteriorate since the last basic repair in 2004, which only allowed temporary access. Load restrictions in effect since 2011 and a reduction in lanes since 2012 speak for the urgency of a new building. The high bridge has static deficits that have been raised for years, and according to current forecasts, a remaining useful life of less than ten years is to be expected. The city administration considers the bridge to be the most dilapidated in the country, and a report questions its load-bearing capacity until 2032, which makes the situation even more serious. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) has also determined that over 2,000 kilometers of state roads and 43 bridges are also in need of renovation. NDR reports on the ongoing planning that has been underway for years, with the preferred variant being selected for the replacement building in April 2021.

Strict time management also seems to be important, as the state plans to start a planning approval process for the new building by the end of the year. Since the bridge is a state road, the new construction is considered a state responsibility and financing is still unclear. The mayor responsible for the city of Wismar, Thomas Beyer (SPD), has already said that discussions about financing are underway, but a detailed amount has not yet been published. The railway crossing legislation obliges the railway to finance parts of the construction work, which at least offers a certain degree of planning security. Street MV informs that the current periodic examination of the bridge entails the possibility of traffic restrictions, especially from Tuesday to Friday, when the bridge is subject to intensive examination.

Necessary measures in bridge construction

While planning is already being advanced in Wismar, bridges nationwide are also facing the challenge of modernization. The Federal Audit Office has recently drawn alarming attention to the poor condition of many bridges on motorways and federal highways. Modernization is not getting anywhere here, and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport had to launch a program so that around 5,000 of the most important and worst parts of motorway bridges would be modernized by 2032. However, only 40 percent of these measures will have been implemented by the end of 2024. Many experts believe that the targets set are unrealistic and are urging more decisive action.

When it comes to bridge infrastructure, we need to act quickly. There are many challenges to overcome, especially within the states where responsibility for bridges on federal highways lies. The states often lack clear goals and an effective modernization program, which further deteriorates the condition of the bridges and endangers mobility on federal highways. Considering the challenges in Wismar and beyond, it is clear that everyone involved is required to make the infrastructure future-proof.