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Mega bridge to Usedom: Cost explosion and construction delays threaten!
Wolgast is facing challenges: the new bridge to Usedom is delayed, costs are exploding, and the local economy is worried about traffic.
Mega bridge to Usedom: Cost explosion and construction delays threaten!
The plans for the new bridge to the holiday island of Usedom are in jeopardy, and the regional economy is worried. Loud Baltic Sea newspaper The completion of the bridge was pushed back a full year to 2028, while the estimated cost jumped from 100 million to 500 million euros. This dramatic increase will of course also have an impact on the ongoing financing of the Wolgast bypass, the safety of which is currently not guaranteed.
Internal information reveals that those responsible in Berlin blame each other for the failure. Such accusations are not well received in the region, especially since tourism is the most important economic sector and secures numerous jobs. Sales in this industry on Usedom are in the billions, although guest satisfaction has already fallen compared to the previous year.
Regional transport and infrastructure
The existing bridge regularly causes traffic jams, especially during the holiday season. That is why the new bridge, which will cross the Peene and have a total length of 1.6 kilometers and a height of 42 meters, is an urgent necessity. According to the Northern Courier A cost increase of 362 million euros was already expected in the summer of 2024. The bids for the construction of the bridge are to be awarded in November 2023.
The construction of the Wolgast bypass has been underway since 2021, with parts of the new bypass road on Usedom having already been opened to traffic. Work is also underway on a third bridge in the area of the Wolgast composting plant. Great importance is placed on future traffic routing in order to connect the region as well as possible.
Economic efficiency and future
The Ministry of Infrastructure in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania recently carried out an updated economic analysis and found a positive benefit-cost ratio. However, the timeline for the bridge's completion remains unchanged, keeping both supporters and critics in the region on edge.
Improved traffic could ease the current situation, but even in the worst case scenario there is still the possibility that the new road will end at the Peenestrom. Those responsible at the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Road Construction and Transport Administration (SBV) have the task of identifying future problems at an early stage and finding suitable solutions so that people in the region can not only get to the coast easily, but also to each other.
The development of the bridge to the holiday island of Usedom remains a central issue in the region. It remains to be hoped that the upcoming decisions will be made promptly so that tourism and the economy remain involved and their importance for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is not jeopardized.