Cologne in the motorway crisis: What will become of our bridge projects?

Cologne in the motorway crisis: What will become of our bridge projects?

Köln, Deutschland - Cologne | Alarm mood in Autobahn GmbH! On November 16, 2024, the FDP's traffic policy spokesman, Bernd Reuther, proposed a deep cut for motorway projects in Germany in the Bundestag. "With a few exceptions, the current financing will not have any construction and new construction on the highways," he warned. This statement also lets the alarm bells ring in Cologne, because the city is dependent on numerous infrastructure projects.

The Autobahn GmbH faces a financial disaster: In the budget for 2025, there is no incredible 1.5 billion euros! Reuther stated: "This was not known to us in this drama." The consequences are serious: the money already planned is required almost exclusively for the renovation of bridges and urgent maintenance work. What does this mean for the ambitious projects around Cologne?

projects in danger!

The Autobahn GmbH plans to be large in Cologne: the renovation of the Leverkusen Autobahnbrücke, the new construction of the Rodenkirchen bridge and the expansion of the A4 between Dreieck Heumar and the Rodenkirchen Autobahnbrücke are on the agenda. But the latest financing problems throw a shadow on these projects. A spokeswoman for Autobahn GmbH said: "The decisions on the amount of the federal budget and the distribution of the funds is the German Bundestag." The planning continues, but the uncertainty remains. The focus is now on maintenance projects to ensure the availability of the motorway network.

The good news: The ongoing construction project for the Rheinbrücke Leverkusen is financially secured. But how long can this positive message cover the worries about the other projects? Autobahn GmbH now urgently has to wait for the decisions of the Bundestag, while the time is pushing and the Cologne drivers hope for a solution.