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Mülheim Bridge open again: traffic chaos in Cologne is over!
Mülheim Bridge in Cologne reopened to cars after 17 months of closure; Traffic load and new KVB lines mentioned.
Mülheim Bridge open again: traffic chaos in Cologne is over!
Good news for all drivers and commuters in Cologne: The Mülheim Bridge, which has been closed for 17 months, is now open to traffic again. At 5:30 a.m. today, July 10, 2025, the closure was lifted, which not only significantly improves traffic flow in the city, but also puts an end to the numerous traffic jams that formed during construction work. How T Online reported, the diversion over other bridges, especially in front of the Zoo Bridge, was a test of patience for many drivers.
The construction work on the Mülheim Bridge has now been completed and the bridge can once again be used in both directions. A lane on the north side of Niehl in the direction of Mülheim has been opened, which has noticeably eased the situation. Before it reopened, it wasn't just the Mülheim Bridge that suffered from traffic chaos; Other Cologne bridges were also heavily loaded.
Temporary changes to light rail traffic
The city of Cologne had already reacted in February 2024 and restricted the KVB light rail lines 13 and 18. In order to still serve passengers, lines 14 and 19 were temporarily introduced, which serve the Mülheim district via other Rhine bridges. But the future use of these lines remains uncertain, as also by stadt-koeln.de is noted.
The progress regarding the Mülheim Bridge is not just limited to road traffic. A meeting of the transport committee on March 18, 2025 provided information about the status of work in the light rail area, which is already in construction phase II. Here the tracks have been laid across the entire bridge, which now need to be secured and adjusted before the bridge can be put back into operation. The deployment of engineers is supported by a newly organized structure in the Office for Bridges, Tunnels and Light Rail Construction. This restructuring, which has been implemented since November 1, 2019, leads to shorter voting channels and accelerated procedures. This is stated by the city of Cologne innovative-city.koeln, viewed as an important measure to improve processes.
The structure of the bridge, a modern suspension bridge, can move lengthwise and crosswise. However, there are still some technical challenges to be overcome at the moment: stuck bearings that caused cracks in the end cross beams in September 2024 must be repaired before the structure can be fully put back into operation. Monitoring the crack development shows that the cracks have not changed recently, which is a positive message for the responsible engineers.
Overall, the reopening of the Mülheim Bridge is a further step towards normality for Cologne traffic. While the city administration and the KVB continue to work on getting the light rail system back into operation quickly, the replacement rail service will remain guaranteed until it is fully completed. It remains to be hoped that traffic flow in Cologne will soon function smoothly again.