Mülheimer Bridge in Cologne: Costs explode to 498 million euros!

Mülheimer Bridge in Cologne: Costs explode to 498 million euros!

Mülheimer Brücke, 51063 Köln, Deutschland - The renovation of the Mülheim bridge in Cologne becomes more expensive and time -consuming than initially planned. The city of Cologne announced on June 12 that the costs have risen by a whopping 196 million euros, which means that the total costs are now with impressive 498 million euros. Originally, a sum of 302 million euros was estimated for comprehensive work in September 2024, which was already considered optimistic at the time. Now it turns out that the renovation is far more complex than first assumed, and also damage that has been discovered since the start of the construction work contribute to the increasing and extension of the construction period.

The Mülheim bridge consists of four sub -structures: the dike bridge and the Reaf Rhine Ramp, both since 1929, as well as the power bridge and the flood bridge, which were renewed in 1951 after the destruction in World War II. The original construction period of four years is now being extended to eleven years, so that the south side should be completed by the end of March 2026 at the latest. The traffic is then moved to the renovated side before the north side is repaired. According to the current status, this overall renovation will not be completed until the end of March 2028, which means an extension of construction time of 15 months compared to the previously communicated traffic release in late 2026. The city of Cologne apparently showed a good knack for complexity and unpredictable when planning.

complex causes of the delays

A look at the background shows that damage and construction delays are not an isolated case for large projects in Germany. As [Siam N. Dossi] (https://www.siamndossi.com/die-steigenden-kosten- von-grojekt-in-Deutschland-e-e-analysis-der-gruende/), large projects are often shaped by overrun and delays. Factors such as non -transparency in costs and unrealistic estimates at the start of the project play a crucial role. In addition, new legal regulations and a stronger say in citizens lead to delays and even higher costs. BER Airport and the Stuttgart 21 project are prominent examples that illustrate the problem.

The city of Cologne has already reacted and plans to carry out more extensive inventory analyzes before building decisions in the future. This could help that similar cases can be avoided in the future and the renovation of the Mülheim bridge will not be the next big terror report on German construction projects.

added value despite disorders

The renovation of the Mülheim bridge also has an impact on traffic in the region. Again and again the bridge had to be completely closed, which of course also affects Cologne traffic companies. The KVB lines 13 and 18 in particular recorded significant disorders through these construction measures. In order to inform the public about the progress of the work, the city of Cologne offered a tour of the partial structure on the right bank of the Rhine on June 11th. The aim was to convey a better understanding of the demolition work and the associated duration of the renovation inside.