Kaiserlebrücke: pigeon protection or construction site disaster?

Kaiserlebrücke: pigeon protection or construction site disaster?

On February 18, 2025, the cleaning and maintenance work at the Kaiserlebrücke (A661) was announced in Offenbach, which will be carried out on behalf of the federal government. However, this work is the focus of a controversy that affects animal welfare organizations, urban authorities and residents alike. While the motorway company emphasizes that the measures are necessary to identify hidden defects and to secure the bridge in the long term, animal rights activists criticize the procedure as potentially harmful for the pigeons nesting there.

The situation escalated in particular when information was published that grids were closed during the cleaning work, which locked up more than 30 pigeons without food. Animal rights activist Sarina Römer reported that she had observed a pigeon who desperately tried to get to her partner who was trapped behind a grid. According to animal rights activist Gudrun Stürmer, this represents an “absolute no-go” and accused the highway company of deliberately locking up the pigeons. The motorway company, on the other hand, rejected these allegations and explained that the pigeons can continue to fly in and out in two places.

reactions of the city and veterinary authorities

In January, the city of Frankfurt informed the veterinary office in Offenbach about the allegations regarding the impairment of the pigeon population. Monika Grimm, the head of the Veterinary and Consumer Protection Office, made it clear that the work was not prompted by the city of Offenbach. After a review, the authorities found no evidence of damage to the animals. "Our evaluation of image and video material resulted in no violations of the Animal Welfare Act [...]. All observed pigeons looked healthy," explains Grimm.

The report by the Offenbach veterinary office led to calming the situation. It was found that there are several open entrances and outputs for the pigeons. These enable the birds to fly in and out via wastewater channels, which means that their freedom is maintained. Further regular controls of the bridge have been agreed to ensure that the pigeon population is not endangered while the necessary cleaning work is carried out at the same time.

future plans and animal welfare

Despite the calming down, there are still concerns about the long -term plans of the motorway company. A long -term closure of the access to the interior of the bridge is planned, which, according to animal rights activist, could cause strikers to look for new nesting sites in adjacent office buildings. Grimm emphasizes, however, that the bridge is not a suitable place for a pigeon seat and the birds would already look for another nesting site.

For detailed information on the cleaning work at the Kaiserlebrücke and the subsequent developments, we refer to the reports of Rhein> Verlag , The opinion of the animal welfare organizations on op-online as well as the context of the current situation in the region by further analyzes .