New roundabout opened in Zittau: sidewalk remains wild!

New roundabout opened in Zittau: sidewalk remains wild!

In Zittau we finally have a reason to celebrate: the new roundabout at the intersection of Outer Oybiner Strasse, Schrammstrasse and Goldbachstrasse was opened to traffic a few days ago. This extensive infrastructure project, which was realized in cooperation with the Görlitz district, the city of Zittau, the municipality of Olbersdorf and various media providers such as Stadtwerke Zittau and Deutsche Telekom AG, is an important sign of better transport connections in the region. How alles-lausitz.de reported, planning started in April 2019 and construction has now been successfully completed in 2025.

The construction work included extensive measures in the first phase. Over 800 meters of electrical cables, 130 meters of gas pipes, 70 meters of water pipes and 860 meters of fiber optic cables were laid. Before the official start of construction on April 22, 2024, preparatory measures such as the dismantling of an outbuilding and the renovation of a retaining wall took place. 66 percent of the construction costs of around three million euros are funded by the “municipal road construction budget”, while the remaining own funds of almost one million euros are divided between the district and the city of Zittau in a ratio of 49.6 to 50.4 percent.

A better traffic flow

The redesign of the confusing intersection is intended not only to ensure a smoother traffic flow, but also to increase safety for pedestrians. The expansion of the sidewalks with crossing points and the modernization of the lighting and signage are also part of the project. The central island of the new roundabout was creatively planted and equipped with sandstone blocks and flagpoles. Particularly worth mentioning is the inner diameter of the roundabout, which is 19 meters, while the roadway width is 5.75 meters plus a wide shoulder of 1.75 meters. Sächsische.de emphasizes that the reconstruction of this road is particularly important because it runs as district road K 8638.

But despite these positive developments, there are also challenges. Residents complain about the uncontrolled growth on the closed sidewalk on Outer Oybiner Street, which is affecting the quality of life in the surrounding area. In addition, the need to further address the expansion of Outer Oybiner Strasse is again emphasized. If the funding conditions change, financing the originally planned expansion could become difficult. The district of Görlitz and the city of Zittau are looking for suitable funding opportunities to renew the tourist route towards the Zittau Mountains.

Need for investment in transport infrastructure

In the context of ongoing construction projects and the state of the transport infrastructure, it is worth taking a look at the nationwide challenges. A recent study commissioned by the German Construction Industry Association and other partners shows that the investment requirement in municipal transport infrastructure is estimated at around 372 billion euros by 2030. This concerns the maintenance and expansion of rail networks and roads. dstgb.de recalls that a third of municipalities rate the condition of their road networks as good, while a third of roads have major deficiencies.

Almost every second road bridge is not in good condition, and the challenges in financing construction and maintenance are significant. It is therefore demanded that the federal government create permanent financing for the infrastructure in order to ensure long-term planning security.

Overall, it can be said that the opening of the new roundabout in Zittau will both improve the traffic situation and highlight the urgent financial challenges that exist throughout the region and beyond. Let's see what the future brings!