Industry of construction construction and ADAC apprehend gridlock catastrophe
The authorities are struggling to fix around 4,000 bridges by 2036. Critics claim that the government is falling short of its goal, with the construction industry fearing budget cuts for highway construction. The deterioration of Germany's road network is just around the corner.
Logistics and construction associations, along with ADAC, are concerned about the government's potential investment cuts in traffic infrastructure. Over 4,000 German bridges alone, in the autobahn sector, require urgent repair or new construction, as per a dozen associations. "If the federal government does not allocate adequate financial resources for highway construction in the current budget and future financial planning, disastrous outcomes are looming - a traffic gridlock is imminent."
Two years ago, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing pledged to implement at least 400 bridge construction projects per year starting from 2026, to clear the backlog within a decade. "We are nowhere near the 400 bridges per year." Recently, tenders have been canceled due to funding issues, and the Autobahn GmbH's construction program has been extended.
Numerous bridge builders are bracing for short-time work. The associations also criticized the proposed 20% reduction in Autobahn GmbH's budget to 4.9 billion euros. "This reckless investment policy will lead to more bridges being shut down and the road network continuing to decay." Instead, an additional billion euros in investments for highway construction should be provided each year, "to kickstart the bridge modernization program and secure the modernization of highways."
The bridge-building industry also plays a significant role in this program. "Companies have expanded their capacity, relying on the expectation that the contracts announced by the federal government would actually come to fruition," it was stated. Now, the companies are stuck in line - with mounting financial losses. Short-time work, even in bridge construction, cannot be ruled out.
The associations involve logistics groups BGL, DSLV, and BWVL, construction associations ZDB and HDB, engineers (VBI), and the General German Automobile Club (ADAC). Current discussions in the traffic light coalition are underway for the preparation of the federal budget 2025.
