Lower Saxony plans massive bridge renovation: traffic jams threaten!

Lower Saxony plans massive bridge renovation: traffic jams threaten!

Niedersachsen, Deutschland - In Lower Saxony, the discussion about the ailing infrastructure is in full swing. At the weekend, the red-green state government advises urgently needed investments in streets and bridges. Economic and Transport Minister Grant Hendrik Tonne (SPD) already makes it clear that a massive wave is imminent for construction sites, which in turn will result in traffic jams and waiting times. The background is the federal infrastructure billion, which are to be used for renovations in the coming years. The location is also tense in the district of Göttingen, since ten percent of the bridges are already in a critical condition, such as [ndr.de] (https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/auf-jahre-bauste-stau-land-will- and-strassen--infrastructure-100.html) reports.

A total of around 4,800 bridges are on federal and state roads in Lower Saxony, with most of them designed for the traffic loads from the 1950s. Heaving traffic has more than tenfold since then and is difficult for the bridges. Minister Tonne emphasizes that without comprehensive renovations the number of "critical bridges" could increase to over 400 by 2035. The prospect that 150 bridges in Lower Saxony have to be replaced is particularly alarming, especially in cities like Hannover.

years full of construction sites

The forecasts of the Ministry of Transport draw a clear picture: the renovation of the already critical 150 bridges could drag on more than a decade. This coincides with the experiences that many citizens and commuters have already had, as well as Transport-online.de In the event of failed progress, voices were made up of a master plan for bridges to finally get the situation under control.

For 2023, 110 million euros have already been provided for the maintenance of the state roads, the federal material is even more estimated with 240 million euros. But with the numerous construction measures, the patience of road users must also be challenged to a great extent. Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) expects intensive debates during the upcoming budget exam, in which the use of a total of nine billion euros is decided.

bridge engineers are urgently needed

In order to counter the critical situation, the state of Lower Saxony also plans to create 30 additional jobs for bridge engineers in the next three years. Part of this “Masterplan Brücke” is that ten engineering positions are set up annually, always in 2025 to 2027. The aim is to achieve a maintenance balance, so that the number of critical bridges below 100 can remain General Bauzeitung.de out.

The infrastructural challenges should not be underestimated. Two thirds of the bridges are still designed for the loads of the 1950s, while modern trucks can sometimes weigh more than 40 tons. This systematic overload leads to a rapid increase in critical buildings and gives the country to think.

The upcoming construction work, as they can currently be observed between Hude and Oldenburg-Osterburg, will certainly not be able to bring a pleasure for drivers. Up to and including Friday, accident damage to Salzgitter and Hildesheim on the highway must be remedied, which ensures further traffic disruptions. Despite all the challenges, a clear need for action can be seen, and the efforts of the state government are certainly reinforced to sustainably improve the dilapidated infrastructure in Lower Saxony.