Carolabrücke in Dresden: Dispute over traces escalates before city council election!

Carolabrücke in Dresden: Dispute over traces escalates before city council election!

In Dresden, the course for the new Carola Bridge is in the balance, and that is causing a lively exchange between the city leaders. Transport Mayor Stephan Kühn (Greens) and Mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP) intend to make a fundamental decision at the upcoming June meeting. The aim is to have this important transport connection partially operational by autumn 2029. The city is proposing to build a new replacement in order to avoid lengthy planning procedures that would be associated with the reconstruction of a historic bridge, such as the one Sächsische.de reports.

In the background of these decisions is the tragic partial collapse of the Carola Bridge on September 11, 2024, in which around 100 meters of the bridge collapsed into the Elbe. An independent expert determined that the massive damage to all bridges was due to the construction period. It is not possible to put the parts that have not collapsed back into operation, so all bridges have to be demolished. There are two possible approaches to reconstruction: a quick replacement building with moderate changes or a new building with more planning flexibility, which could, however, take an additional three to six years, explains dresden.de.

Discussion about the number of lanes

However, the mayor does not want to commit to a specific number of lanes, but is aiming for a “needs-based bridge”. According to forecasts, a maximum of 30,500 cars will use the bridge per day, which would require at least two extra-wide or three lanes. While the business representatives are calling for a four-lane bridge, the CDU, Team Zastrow and FDP/Free Citizens have agreed to draw up an amendment that calls for the new building to be built quickly without a long planning approval process. Your vote in the city council is scheduled for the 19th/20th. June is planned, although approval must be given so that the four lanes can be fixed for further planning, according to reporting from Sächsische.de.

However, such a development could jeopardize the funding, warns Building Mayor Kühn. Because if four lanes exceed the actual need, the approval of the financial resources is in jeopardy. City councilor Stefan Engel from the SPD is in favor of the city's proposal, but emphasizes that he would like to contribute his own ideas for improvement. The SPD even sees the construction of the new bridge as the city's most important project, while the Greens are committed to two lanes with wide cycle paths.

Political disputes and diversity of opinions

The AfD has not yet taken a clear position, but could agree to the Alliance's proposal, even if it does not currently have a majority in the city council. Holger Zastrow from Team Zastrow is in talks with the AfD to gain broader support. Meanwhile, a non-public meeting of the building committee is coming up to discuss the next steps.

In the context of the ongoing discussions about bridge construction, it is important to know that there are a total of around 39,500 bridges in the federal highway network in Germany, most of which are made of steel and prestressed concrete, reports BMV.de. These statistics show that the challenge of modernizing and adapting the bridge infrastructure does not only affect Dresden, but is important nationwide.

A look at the Carola Bridge shows that the negotiations and decisions surrounding the bridge are of great relevance for both the city's transport infrastructure and the political balance of power. The upcoming vote in the city council promises to set the tone for the future development of the bridge and Dresden's transport network.