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Cologne: Complete closure of the Mülheim Bridge – No final solution until 2028!
The Mülheim Bridge in Cologne will remain affected by renovation work and full night closures until 2028. Updates and redirects.
Cologne: Complete closure of the Mülheim Bridge – No final solution until 2028!
The Mülheim Bridge in Cologne continues to be a real patience playground for drivers and public transport users. The city has now announced the next full closure for cars, which will take place overnight from Monday, July 21st to Sunday, August 31st, 2025. The renovation work on the end cross beams of the bridge is still in full swing, and what was originally only supposed to take around four years has now stretched to an incredible eleven years. The cost framework has increased from 300 million euros to 500 million euros. That reports Express.
But the end of the work is far from being in sight. The renovation work is expected to be completed in 2028. However, the bridge remains accessible in both directions during the day, and pedestrian and bicycle traffic remains unaffected by the nighttime closures. Anyone who wants to cross the bridge by car at night must be prepared for detours via the Zoo Bridge between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Next measures and their consequences
The full closures last a total of six weeks, corresponding to six nights per section. The city of Cologne has announced that it will also work on the bridge during the day in order not to prolong the construction work unnecessarily. But that's not all: After the restart of tram lines 13 and 18 was initially planned for April, completion was delayed here too WDR reported. The rail replacement service will initially be maintained until the end of June 2025, which will lead to a further increase in costs for Cologne transport companies - estimated at around 4 million euros.
The construction work was driven forward by various unexpected construction difficulties, which made it necessary to first dismantle the bridge's support systems before the new light rail tracks could be installed. The people of Cologne therefore have to prepare for a replacement bus service, which could possibly last until the end of the year, says the KVB.
Economic impact on infrastructure
The Mülheim Bridge is not an isolated case. According to a study by the German Institute for Urban Studies, many bridges and roads in German municipalities are in significant need of renovation. On average, an investment requirement of over 370 billion euros could be necessary by 2030, says daily news.
Almost every second road bridge is not in good condition, and every third road has major defects. The pressure is increasing to make the infrastructure more attractive in order to attract and redirect passengers in local public transport. That is why VDV General Manager Oliver Wolff, among others, is calling for an increase in funding to maintain the infrastructure, which should be increased to 2.5 billion euros per year from 2026.
The current situation around the Mülheim Bridge and the ongoing construction work show how important it is that the federal government and the municipalities work together to find suitable solutions to combat the renovation backlog and ensure a reliable transport infrastructure.