Mülheim Bridge: 200 million euros more for renovation!

Mülheim Bridge: 200 million euros more for renovation!

A significant increase in construction costs and a drastic extension of the construction time break all previous records for the repair of the Mülheim Bridge in Cologne. If obvious problems are reflected in the plans, it is not surprising that the total costs for the project are now estimated at almost 500 million euros. This number has already doubled after the planned construction period was increased from the original four to 11 years. According to current forecasts, the bridge, which is an important traffic concern for the city, should be fully accessible again by 2029 at the latest, with the first vehicles being allowed to roll over the newly renovated structure as early as 2028. This is reported by Radio Köln.

The Mülheim Bridge, a listed building, is in a worse condition than the experts had predicted at the beginning of the project. In the middle part of the structure, a complete replacement of the substructure is required, which is considered to be the main cause of the cost explosion. The additional construction costs, which have increased accordingly due to longer construction times, pose further challenges for financing. That's not all, further additions can already be expected.

Background to the construction time extensions

But what does this construction time extension mean for the contractors? According to the experts at Bauprofessor, such extensions can give rise to compensation claims for the building contractors if there is a deviation from the contractually agreed schedules. It matters here who is responsible for the costs of the delays. If it is a third party or the client's vicarious agents, this could be financially significant.

However, in order to claim this compensation, contractors must provide detailed documentation detailing how the delays arose and the financial consequences they entailed. A ruling by the Hamm Higher Regional Court has already underlined the importance of a precise presentation of such facts.

Legal framework

Now the question arises: What if the client makes changes to the construction schedule? A ruling by the Federal Court of Justice has made it clear that simply submitting a modified construction schedule does not automatically lead to a claim for additional remuneration. For contractors, this means that they not only have to accurately document the construction times, but also examine possible alternatives to compensation claims. These legal details underline the complexity of construction projects and the need for transparent communication between all those involved, as is made clear on the platform anwal.de.

The repair of the Mülheim Bridge will accompany us well into the 2030s, and concerns about the increased costs and legal challenges are unlikely to disappear any time soon. Nevertheless, people in Cologne hope that the bridge, which requires many commuters and drivers, can finally be used reliably again.