Closure of the Emden Bridge: Holidays on the North Sea in danger!

Closure of the Emden Bridge: Holidays on the North Sea in danger!

The North Sea coast is facing a challenging summer period: The central railway bridge over the Emden inland port will be completely closed from July 18th to August 8th, 2026. This measure takes place during the summer holidays in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, which will have a serious impact on tourism in the region. The popular East Frisian islands of Borkum, Juist and Norderney as well as the adjacent tourist areas on the mainland are particularly affected by this closure moin.de reported.

Due to the closure, travelers have to expect detours and delays, which poses challenges for many tourism-oriented businesses. Mario Schiefelbein, Managing Director of the North Sea Tourism Agency (TANO), expresses great concern about the possible economic damage that could result from disruptions to ferry and port operations. He particularly emphasizes that many businesses rely on a reliable rail connection in order to welcome guests. TANO is therefore calling for a new planning of the construction work in order to take the interests of the region into account, which is also supported by tano.travel is taken up.

Need for renovation

The Emden Bridge is considered to be prone to failure and repairs have already been postponed several times. Deutsche Bahn approved the construction work, but there was no feedback from the relevant players in the tourism industry, which Schiefelbein sharply criticized. For the most part, there was no coordination with tourist representatives, municipalities and shipping companies, while communication mainly took place with the VW factory. Given the importance of tourism in the region, this certainly should not be the case.

The effects are not just limited to the journey - popular events such as the Delft and Harbor Festival in Emden are also affected by the construction work. Postponing these events could prove difficult, adding to the challenges to the local economy.

Alternatives to arrival

In addition to the rail connection, there are many options for getting to the East Frisian Islands, even if the ferry connections could be affected by the construction work. Especially for the island of Spiekeroog, traveling by ferry and the fast ferry service “WattnExpress” from Neuharlingersiel is a golden option. This crossing takes approximately 45 minutes and is tidal dependent. If you arrive by train, you can get to the pier via Esens or Norden, where buses or taxis come into play ostfriesische-inseln.de determines.

With parking options at the port, traveling by car remains an attractive alternative for many holidaymakers, despite the uncertainty that could arise from the bridge closure. What is clear is that without proper planning and consideration of local needs, both tourism and the economic stability of the region are at risk.