Bridges in North Rhine -Westphalia: Alarming renovation of renovation discovered!

Bridges in North Rhine -Westphalia: Alarming renovation of renovation discovered!

The condition of the Autobahnbrücken in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is alarming and plays a crucial role in the state's economic future. As the Borkener Zeitung , 30% of the Autobahnbrücken in NRW falls into the worst categories. For comparison: it is less than 10%in Bavaria. The high renovation needs in NRW leave organizational and economic consequences.

A total of 2,440 motorway bridges in North Rhine -Westphalia have to be classified as ailing. This means high pressure for the traffic authority, as NRW Minister of Transport Oliver Krischer (Greens) admits. Based on an analysis of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) NRW and RWTH Aachen, it becomes clear that NRW 600 needs more renovations than the neighboring federal states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate together.

economic damage and infrastructural challenges

The blocking of the Rahde Tal Bridge, which significantly affects the traffic connection, causes an estimated damage of 1.8 billion euros. The diversion routes on the 250 kilometer state road are heavily contaminated. The duration of approval for the demolition of this bridge is also shocking, which is extremely long at a year and a half.

Responsibility for the accompanying problems is perceived in politics. The FDP parliamentary group has criticized Minister of Transport Krischer for the slow implementation of renovation projects. In addition, the construction progress at Autobahnbrücken has declined by 20% in the past two years. Among other things, this is attributed to rising construction costs and non -accessed federal funds. In the years 2022 and 2023, 60 million euros in federal funds were not used.

demands for long breath and strategic solutions

The inadequate renovation and the new building of many bridges, especially those built before 1980, are identified as the main reasons for the dilapidated state. The proportion of companies that complain about impairments due to poor transport infrae structure rose from 59% in 2013 to 79%. Here the IHK calls for a "bridge-task force" for more effective management.

In the debate about possible solutions, the IHK advocates planning releases so that new bridges can be approved faster at the same place. Critics, such as Werner Schaurte-Küppers from Duisburg IHK, also criticize data management in bridge construction. They refer to the need for better cooperation between the federal, state and municipalities.

The new construction of a Rhine bridge now costs around one billion euros, which further strengthens the challenges for future infrastructure projects. The close of insurmountable hurdles for the renovation and new construction of the bridges is increasingly perceived as urgent in politics, while a noticeable improvement is in sight.