Lower Saxony is planning massive bridge renovations: there is a risk of traffic jams!

Lower Saxony is planning massive bridge renovations: there is a risk of traffic jams!

In Lower Saxony, the discussion about the dilapidated infrastructure is in full swing. At the weekend, the red-green state government will discuss urgently needed investments in roads and bridges. Economics and Transport Minister Grant Hendrik Tonne (SPD) is already making it clear that we are facing a massive wave of construction sites, which in turn will result in traffic jams and waiting times. The background is the federal government's billions in infrastructure, which will be used increasingly for renovations in the coming years. The situation is also tense in the Göttingen district, as ten percent of the bridges here are already in a critical condition, as ndr.de reports.

In total, there are around 4,800 bridges on federal and state roads in Lower Saxony, most of which were designed for the traffic loads from the 1950s. Since then, heavy goods traffic has increased more than tenfold and is causing severe problems for the bridges. Minister Tonne emphasizes that without comprehensive renovations, the number of “critical bridges” could rise to over 400 by 2035. Particularly alarming is the prospect that 150 bridges in Lower Saxony will need to be replaced, especially on expressways in cities like Hanover.

Years full of construction sites

The Ministry of Transport's forecasts paint a clear picture: the renovation of the already critical 150 bridges could take more than a decade. This is consistent with the experiences that many citizens and commuters have already had transport-online.de determines. In the absence of progress, voices have been raised calling for a master plan for bridges to finally get the situation under control.

For the year 2023, 110 million euros have already been made available for the maintenance of state roads, and the federal material is estimated to be even higher at 240 million euros. But with the numerous construction projects, the patience of road users must also be greatly demanded. Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) expects intensive debates during the upcoming budget meeting, in which the use of a total of nine billion euros from federal funds will be decided.

Bridge engineers are urgently needed

In order to address the critical situation, the state of Lower Saxony is also planning to create 30 additional positions for bridge engineers over the next three years. Part of this “Bridge Master Plan” is that ten engineering positions will be set up every year, always in the years 2025 to 2027. The aim is to achieve a maintenance balance so that the number of critical bridges can remain below 100, emphasizes generalebauzeitung.de.

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 is leading to a rapid increase in critical structures and is giving the country something to think about.

The upcoming construction work, as can currently be seen between Hude and Oldenburg-Osternburg, will certainly not bring any joy to drivers. Accident damage near Salzgitter and Hildesheim on the motorway will have to be repaired up to and including Friday, which will cause further traffic disruptions. Despite all the challenges, there is a clear need for action, and the state government's efforts will certainly be increased to sustainably improve the ailing infrastructure in Lower Saxony.