Wüst under fire: Rahmede bridge remains closed despite defects!

Wüst under fire: Rahmede bridge remains closed despite defects!

In one thing that the minds in the Cologne region heated, the parliamentary committee of inquiry is coming to an end. After 37 sessions and almost 100 invited witnesses, the result is assessed as unsuccessful. The bridge, which was classified eleven months after the takeover by the new federal government of the federal government, was still "satisfactory" by the end of 2020, which raises many questions about the quality of the exams. It is particularly explosive that it was found in 2014 that the bridge could no longer be inherent, but the new building was repeatedly delayed. Anyone who ultimately takes responsibility for this misery remains unclear how [ksta.de] (https://www.ksta.de/politik/nrw-politik/wie-hendrik-wuest-die--rahmede examination reports.

Central focus is on the statements of Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst. The latter emphasized that he always rely on the judgments of his experts and does not intervene in their decisions. In his questioning of witnesses, the SPD MP Gordan Dudas did not succeed in obtaining stressful information. Wüst argumented that due to stable test results, the new building of the bridge was not considered priority and the Rahde bridge was not problematized. Despite these explanations, a explosive meeting protocol from September 2021, which documents "enormous deficits" of the bridge and recommends a quick replacement building, are in the room. The situation was further complicated by internal tables that showed numerous defects on the bridge in May 2021.

traffic chaos and economic damage

The blocking of the Rahmedetal Bridge in December 2021 marked a turning point. This was concluded due to massive defects that were found during a special test. The consequences were devastating for the region: thousands of vehicles were redirected by narrow towns, residents suffered from noise and exhaust gases, and companies and freight forwarders had to fight with considerable traffic jams and time losses. The economic damage is estimated at billions, such as [zdf.de] (https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/talbruecke--rahmede-hendrik-wuest- Transport Minister-nrw-100.html).

According to an examination of T&E, over a third of all bridges are dilapidated on motorways and federal roads and require either the renovation or a complete replacement. The committee of inquiry, which tries to clarify the delays in the new construction of the Rahde bridge, has now referred to 2025-originally the 2017 new building should have started. In this context, the opposition asked questions about the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and the role of Wüst.

outlook on the new building

The new Rahmedetal Bridge is now being built in record time and is to be opened in spring 2026. Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder assured that the first parts of the new bridge will soon be available. Let's hope that the teachings will be drawn from this situation and that such a miser does not repeat.