Industrial road will remain at 50 km/h until 2026 – renovation will be delayed!

Industrial road will remain at 50 km/h until 2026 – renovation will be delayed!

A speed limit of 50 km/h will be introduced on the industrial road in Cologne by 2026. This measure was decided in September 2022 and is intended to increase safety on the busy road. The reason for the reduction lies in the worrying condition of the guardrails, which no longer correspond to the current technical standard both on the edge and in the median strip. This was made clear by an accident in which the inadequacies of the guard rails became apparent. The road inspection service determined that the damage cannot be repaired in the short term and that the vehicle restraint system needs to be completely replaced Cologne City Gazette reported.

The city administration has already drawn up a schedule for the renovation of the protection elements. The planning phase should be completed promptly so that the tender for the necessary work can be prepared and published. The original plan was to complete the planning by the end of the first quarter of 2025. However, the aim is now to start construction in the first quarter of 2026, depending on a needs assessment decision, which is still pending. This means that further action takes a back seat, even though the tender should have already been launched.

Road safety in focus

The continued speed limit of 50 km/h is not only a safety measure, but also necessary to comply with legal requirements. From a speed of 70 km/h, a protective barrier would be required between the directions of travel, a requirement that cannot currently be met. This has a direct impact on general traffic, as such a regulation could provide more protection on the roads and reduce the risk of accidents. Studies show that the v85 speed, i.e. the speed that 85% of vehicles do not exceed, is an important indicator. It serves as the basis for setting speed limits and safety measures, the platform reports Safe streets.

A healthy traffic speed ensures more safety on Cologne's streets. The continuous collection of speed data from vehicles enables more precise analyzes and the early identification of dangerous sections. The city administration could therefore make informed decisions to increase traffic safety.

A fixed time frame for the project has not yet been given, but the city of Cologne has shown a good knack for addressing the problem and thus taking a step towards safer streets. Lessons from previous incidents should not be forgotten so that future transport infrastructure measures can be put on a solid basis.