Bridge threat in Central Saxony: Exploded renovation costs!

Bridge threat in Central Saxony: Exploded renovation costs!

In today's world, when there is an urgent need for action, the bridges in middle Saxony show up in a desolate state. According to a comment from Freie Presse , the district would have to put around 3 million euros on the table annually in order to obtain the bridges in an acceptable structural condition. But not only the district, but also the federal government and the Free State of Saxony have a responsibility that is often not perceived.

What about in practice? Many municipalities often appreciate the investment needs for their bridge renovations on amounts between 1 to 10 million euros. But the sad reality is that numerous communities do not have enough financial means to manage the necessary own shares for funding. The situation also becomes clear in the building authority of the city of Waldheim: The overall condition of the bridges is described there as "extremely unsatisfactory", as the mdr

financing problem and renovation requirement

The dilemma is heading, because without sufficient funding from the federal and state governments, many renovation projects are simply not feasible. In the municipality of Demitz-Thumitz, for example, renovation costs for small bridges of around 400,000 euros are calculated. However, the municipal means are so limited that there is hardly any scope for the necessary own shares.

Another example is the city of Werdau in the Zwickau district, which reports on a construction price inflation of over 35 percent in the past five years. Here the high planning approval costs and the construction costs can no longer be covered by own funds. In addition, many cities, as well as Limbach-Oberfrohna, criticize inadequate funding and the lack of personnel that extremely difficult to apply for funding.

The renovation backlog grows

An alarming study by the German Institute for Urban Studies, which was created on behalf of well -known associations, has shown that almost every second street bridge in the municipalities is in poor condition. In total, an investment requirement of over 370 billion euros by 2030 is estimated for the preservation and expansion of the infrastructure, as reported by the Tagesschau There are also serious defects in local public transport that urgently need to be addressed.

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has indicated that from 2026 the funds for bridge renovations are to be increased to 2.5 billion euros per year. This could bring light into the dark, but the time is pressing and the renovation backlog already affects over 4,000 bridges. The hope remains that the municipalities will also become active and finally take the necessary steps to bring the infrastructure in the country up to date.