Scandal around Mülheimer Bridge: Refurbishment costs explode to EUR 500 million!

Scandal around Mülheimer Bridge: Refurbishment costs explode to EUR 500 million!

The Mülheim bridge in Cologne is currently the focus of violent criticism. The extensive renovation, which was originally scheduled for four years, has now extended to an incredible eleven years. As the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger , the cost explosion as a failure of the city administration is regarded, both in the planning as well as in the implementation. Instead of the initially estimated costs of 300 million euros, total expenses are now estimated at around 500 million euros, which means an increase of around 200 million euros.

The Mülheimer Bridge is not only one of four large urban bridges, but also a building with history. Parts of the bridge date from 1929, while other sections were rebuilt after the war. It is also under monument protection, which also makes the renovation complicated. The city administration has granted mistakes in monitoring and identified insufficient preparation as one of the main problems. Here a "significantly reduced cost risk" for the north side is promised, which depends on knowledge on the south side of the bridge.

rising costs and time delays

In addition to the extended construction period, the dramatic increase in costs also ensures resentment among Cologne associations and initiatives. These perceive the high expenditure as a mockery in view of the tense budget situation of the city. The city administration faces a dilemma: a demolition of the project would already put money invested in the sand.

The bad constitution of the bridge became clear in a new rating, so that the KVB railways 13 and 18 still well used today can probably only drive across the bridge until mid-September 2025. The complete release of the bridge for traffic could be delayed by 2028, which raises further questions about planning optimization.

consequences for urban development

This topic is also in the context of current challenges in urban development, such as "https://www.bbsr.bund.de/bbsr/de/forschung/stadt-region/2024/stadtwicklungs-berichten-des-bunde/01-start.html"> urban development report . Here the focus is on sustainable development, demographic changes and the infrastructure, which are particularly affected in Cologne due to such major projects such as the renovation of the Mülheim bridge. The city administration is required to not only have a good hand for current projects such as this, but also to plan and act more transparently and sustainably for future renovations.