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Traffic chaos on Usedom: Zecheriner Bridge completely closed from Tuesday!
The Zecheriner Bridge on Usedom will be completely closed from October 7th to 9th due to urgent renovation work. Drivers have to expect long detours.
Traffic chaos on Usedom: Zecheriner Bridge completely closed from Tuesday!
There will be a significant traffic change on Usedom this week: The Zecheriner Bridge will be partially and temporarily even completely closed between October 6th and 12th. This measure is being carried out to urgently renew the road surface, as the almost 100-year-old bridge over the Peenestrom has significant damage. Without the renovation, there is a risk of serious damage to the steel substructure in winter, which underlines the need for this renovation Northern Courier highlights.
From October 7th, motorists will be faced with a full closure between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., during which time the bridge will not be passable to normal traffic. Only in the early morning hours and in the evening is a half-way traffic route set up using construction site lights. This means long detours for traffic on the B110, with islanders even having to drive up to 60 kilometers more to reach their destinations, reports Baltic Sea newspaper.
Action for tourism
The upcoming traffic disruptions are causing concern among some tourism professionals. Krister Hennige, the head of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) on Usedom, recalls the traffic jams that affected the island in October 2021. He recommends that hoteliers and employers make sure to inform their guests and employees about the upcoming restrictions. Jan Fidora, operator of the moated castle in Mellenthin, even gives affected employees time off to save them the detours.
Nadine Riethdorf, head of the Usedom Tourism Association, emphasizes the urgency of the renovation and the importance of investing in the infrastructure. She points out that Usedom has competitive disadvantages compared to other travel destinations, which such measures can only make up for to a limited extent. Her advice to holidaymakers is to travel early in the morning or evening and use alternative routes such as the Polish S3 motorway and the Swine Tunnel.
Strategic investments
The construction work on the Zecheriner Bridge is part of a comprehensive bridge modernization program in Germany. Given the aging transport infrastructure, consisting of around 40,300 bridges, numerous maintenance and modernization measures are necessary to ensure the load-bearing capacity and safety of older structures. The Federal Ministry of Transport describes the measures as part of a comprehensive approach that also includes the modernization of heavily used routes.
Important and necessary work is now being carried out in Usedom, which is intended to sustainably improve not only the safety of the bridge, but also the quality of the island's transport connections. It remains to be hoped that the measures will be implemented quickly and without major complications.