OPENING OF THE WASSERWERK BRIDGE KARLSRUHE

With the obligatory cutting of the ribbon - this time in the Baden national colours - the Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, Dr. Frank Mentrup, opened the Wasserwerk bridge planned by KREBS+KIEFER for the citizens on 24 July 2019.

The footpath and cycleway bridge with service road now opens up once again the popular Oberwald recreation area in the south of the city, crossing over Karlsruhe's freight station.

Dr. Mentrup emphasized not only the good cooperation between administration, planning and execution, but also the pleasing adherence to the budget of around € 5.5 million. In particular, the realisation, originally estimated for 15 months but completed in only twelve months including the demolition work, was mentioned in his speech. This also pleased the representatives of the local citizens' associations, for whom the absence of the bridge had meant a massive restriction of local recreation.

In the course of the replacement of a rotten steel construction from 1895, the clear-cut crest of the bridge also allowed to adapt the current requirements of Deutsche Bahn to the clearance gauge to be bridged. The trough structure, planned as a steel composite construction with a striking "wing" cross-section coming from the lateral aluminium protection against accidental contact at the overhead line, was the result of an urban design competition won by KREBS+KIEFER together with GJL Architekten.