Cologne is planning two new bridges: pedestrians and cyclists in focus!

Cologne is planning two new bridges: pedestrians and cyclists in focus!

In Cologne, two new Rhine bridges for pedestrians and cyclists are planned as part of an urban development master plan. These projects aim to improve the transport connections between the western and eastern districts of the Rhine. The winning designs for the bridges have already been chosen as part of an architecture competition, and the plans are to be presented to the traffic committee on March 18, 2025.

The first bridge will connect between the Bastei and the Rhine Park, while the second bridge is planned at the level of the ubier ring and leads to the newly created city district at Deutzer Hafen. These bridges should fit harmoniously into the cityscape and have a filigree construction. In addition, there are places to linger on both bridges, which should make your stay more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists.

improvement in housing mobility

These new bridges are part of a more comprehensive plan to increase the attractiveness of the foot and cycle path connections in Cologne. The master plan, which was created in 2009, provides for the securing of foot and cycling connections. As early as September 10, 2020, the city council decided to carry out a realization competition for the new bridges. This was converted into a competitive dialogue in 2021 to enable the planning teams more flexibility. City of Cologne reports that all designs could be developed before the order interdisciplinary.

The new bridges are used exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists, in contrast to the existing Rheinbrücken, which also absorb motorized traffic. This creates a safe and direct connection between left and right bank of the Rhine Cologne, which is of great importance both in terms of transport and urban design.

context for transport connections

Currently seven bridges are already combining the districts across the Rhine, but many of these connections are not optimal for cyclists and pedestrians. The new bridges should close these gaps and bring a significant improvement in near mobility. The planning of these bridges is particularly important to overcome the barrier effect of the Rhine and to promote the use of bicycles in everyday life and in leisure time.