Katzenbuckelbrücke in Cologne: renovation is delayed indefinitely!

Katzenbuckelbrücke in Cologne: renovation is delayed indefinitely!

In Cologne, the Mülheim harbor bridge, affectionately known as the “Katzenbuckelbrücke”, shows its dilapidated side. Numerous damages were already identified in reports in 2017 and 2020. The city council decided on the renovation in September 2022, and the city of Cologne is planning costs of 2.4 million euros, including a risk surcharge of 15 percent. However, the forecasts are now in jeopardy. It remains unclear whether the planned expenditure can actually be met, and the tender for the renovation work is running two years late. This could delay completion until next year, while repairs are expected to take 33 weeks. Actually, the work should have already been completed, which also affects traffic at the Mülheim port, which must not be affected during the construction work. The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reports on the upcoming measures, which, in addition to renewing and raising the railings, also include the renovation of the concrete surfaces and the restoration of slip resistance.

But the picture becomes even more complicated when you look beyond Cologne's city limits. According to the information from Radio Cologne inform the people of Mülheim that the renovation of the Mülheim Bridge will be around 200 million euros more expensive than originally estimated. The reasons are time delays and rising prices in the construction industry. The construction period has increased from four years to eleven years, which increases the total costs to almost 500 million euros. And that's not all - further additions to construction costs are to be expected.

Tense situation in German bridge construction

But these problems are not just limited to Cologne and Mülheim. Across Germany, the renovation of dilapidated bridges is in jeopardy. Loud daily news Around 10,000 bridges are in need of renovation. Many unpleasant surprises are to be expected: a lack of staff, poor planning and a general renovation backlog that affects 4,000 bridges on motorways and federal highways is leading to costs escalating. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has already invited people to a “bridge summit” to present a package of measures to accelerate the renovations. A proposal for a new infrastructure fund is also under discussion.

The Mülheim harbor bridge therefore remains not only a regional but also a national issue that makes citizens sit up and take notice. The city of Cologne is doing its best to master the situation, but the renovation backlog and the associated additional costs cast a long shadow on infrastructure projects in Germany. It will be exciting to see what effect these developments have and whether we can stroll across the Katzenbuckel Bridge again in peace in the near future.