Gersbach construction site: road is being modernized and fiber optics are being installed!

Gersbach construction site: road is being modernized and fiber optics are being installed!

There's a lot going on in Gersbach at the moment - and not just on the streets! Since April, extensive road construction work has been underway to renovate the street “Am alten Friedhof”. In total, the costs amount to an impressive 1.8 million euros. Technical manager Ulrich Blaser reveals that at least 20 workers are working on the construction site. While the municipal utilities have already renewed the water pipe and installed 19 house connections, Deutsche Glasfaser will use the current construction work to lay fiber optic cables. However, the mayor, Michael Maas, remains critical and criticizes the uncoordinated approach of the various fiber optic companies, which do not always work hand in hand.

And that's not all. In order to meet the increased demands of heat pumps, electric cars and solar power, the power supply was also improved. A new low-voltage cable provides the necessary capacity, while a new transformer station was built. The civil engineering department has also installed a separation channel for wastewater and rainwater. These measures are crucial because there have been some surprises underground. Old pipes were installed too high and the clay soil posed an additional challenge.

Weather conditions and community spirit

Due to the weather, rain and heat are causing delays in the construction schedule. Nevertheless, the mood on site remains positive. Residents show solidarity and support the construction workers with coffee and cake - a nice gesture that lightens up everyday working life. The road itself stretches for 255 meters and despite the different challenges, the asphalt layer is scheduled for this July. After this has been applied, the sidewalks are paved.

Construction began at the end of April and official completion is scheduled for November. Mayor Maas is optimistic and promised that the road will be completed before Christmas. The cost breakdown is as follows: 250,000 euros for the sewer renovation, 282,000 euros for the municipal utilities infrastructure and 1.29 million euros for road construction. Meanwhile, the investments made by Deutsche Glasfaser remain unclear.

Fiber optic expansion is an important point

But a look outside the box shows that fiber optic expansion is not only making progress in Gersbach. Data from the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization (BMDS) shows that fiber optic expansion in Germany has picked up speed since 2021. With a coverage level of 35.7 percent of private households by mid-2024, there is clear growth - around 1.8 million households benefit from this development every six months. According to behoerden-spiegel.de, around 12 percent of new connections are realized through government funding programs, while the majority are developed independently. It turns out that government support is particularly important for expansion in rural regions.

The Federal Network Agency also publishes valuable information on the subject of infrastructure. Their guidelines require public utilities and fiber optic providers to provide open access for third parties in order to strengthen competitiveness. When renovating and re-laying cables, it is also recommended to use synergies and use existing infrastructures together, which is also understandable in Gersbach in the current construction phase. These approaches promise a future-proof expansion of the broadband network in our region, which is also important in view of the current market challenges, according to bundesnetzagentur.de.

It remains exciting to see how the construction work and the fiber optic expansion in Gersbach develop. A good internet connection is essential for many people, especially these days. This goes hand in hand with the measures taken on site and shows a growing awareness of the requirements of the digital future.