Traffic - SPD demands bridge manager to prevent further traffic disasters
The SPD fears a traffic disaster like the Rahmedetal bridge in view of the expected month-long closure of the Autobahn 42 between Bottrop and Essen. At an on-site meeting in Bottrop on Wednesday, its local members of state parliament called for a commissioner for bridges and infrastructure with a central staff unit at the state. Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens) has proven to be a total failure in North Rhine-Westphalia's transport policy and must be given a manager to assist him, according to a paper from the opposition parliamentary group.
What is also needed is a "bridge summit" with all relevant stakeholders from politics, business, local authorities and trade unions. The SPD demanded that a list of priorities for emergencies be presented there. "In particular, it must be clearly communicated which other bridge structures under state and federal responsibility that are under pressure may be at risk of being closed, what this means for the surrounding infrastructure and what emergency plans exist for them."
This applies acutely to the closure on the A42 and the bridge structures on the detour routes that are now under additional strain. Residents, businesses and local authorities needed certainty as quickly as possible as to what would happen to the A42 and what they would have to prepare for.
From the point of view of the SPD politicians, traffic should only be diverted over a wide area via the A2 and A40 federal highways and not via local roads. "There is a risk of a domino effect if the downstream road networks are put under strain," they warn.
Minister Krischer intends to report on the situation at a special meeting of the transport committee in the Düsseldorf state parliament on January 17. An analysis recently revealed serious damage to the A42 bridge over the Rhine-Herne Canal. Autobahn GmbH hopes that the section can be reopened in the spring, at least for cars. However, it is unclear whether trucks will ever be able to drive over the bridge again. The A42 is a central east-west link (Kamp-Lintfort-Dortmund) through the middle of the Ruhr region.
The 53-year-old bridge has been under particular scrutiny for years because it is not actually designed for around 80,000 vehicles a day. A new construction is already planned, but will take several more years. The closure of the A42 continues a series of serious traffic problems in NRW due to dilapidated highway bridges.
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Source: www.stern.de
