Mülheimer Brücke open again - Google Maps shows incorrect blocking!

Mülheimer Brücke open again - Google Maps shows incorrect blocking!

The Mülheim bridge in Cologne, an important building for car traffic, has been released for motor vehicles since July 10, 2025. The bridge had previously only been accessible in a direction of travel for months - a Situation that made many drivers with great challenges. But while the physical closure belongs to the past, Google Maps still shows the bridge as blocked. This has already led to incorrect route recommendations, such as the diversion via the zoo bridge for trips from Cologne-Riehl to Schanzenstraße in Mülheim, which in particular poses problems with local drivers and driving services. This information provides the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger . In the coming days, a correction of the advertisement will be assumed that the situation will hopefully relax.

Since the direction of the Mülheim direction was blocked on February 5, 2024, traffic in the area has changed significantly, which increased uncertainty on the streets. The renovation of the bridge, which has been underway since 2018, now costs around 500 million euros, which represents a doubling of the original costs. The repair was originally planned for 2022, but now the completion is only expected for 2028.

history of the bridge

The Mülheimer Bridge has an eventful story. It was created from the incorporation from Mülheim to Cologne in 1914, according to which the city was hired when building a bridge between the two parts of the city. Construction began in 1927, after the inflation at the time delayed the process. The first connection via the Rhine was previously guaranteed by a ship bridge. The Mayor of Cologne Konrad Adenauer was committed to creating a suspension bridge. However, this connection was only established after the destruction of the first bridge in World War II by the new bridge, which was built by Wilhelm Riphahn with technical support from Fritz Leonhardt from 1949. The new bridge, which has a span of 315 meters, served not only for car traffic, but also on local rail transport as well as cycling and pedestrian traffic, as described by the platform Baukunst-nrw.de

Refurbishment work and improvements have been carried out again and again in recent years, including the last plantings of the southern green area on the Mülheimer side in 2002.

innovative urban development

Another exciting aspect in Cologne is the “Morgenstadt” project. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute, the City of Cologne and the technology provider Esri, the development of a 3D city model is being used here to visualize future scenarios. With the help of virtual reality glasses, interested parties can “run” through the plan area in the Mülheim district. This innovative project promotes cooperation between various authorities and enables citizen participation in order to activate urban development. The aim is to visually present complex data and make the information more tangible for citizens. There is more on Whereenext.esri.de .

The Mülheimer Bridge remains not only as a traffic facility, but also as part of a larger urban development concept in terms of Cologne citizens and urban planning. The challenges of the current traffic situation are huge, but the long -term projects for urban development give hope that the dissolution of these difficulties is in prospect.