Bridge damage - Transport Committee: Special meeting on A42 closure in January
The expected month-long closure of the important highway 42 between Bottrop and Essen due to bridge damage is alarming politicians. At the suggestion of NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens), the transport committee of the state parliament is to be informed about the situation in a special meeting on January 17, according to information from state parliament circles on Wednesday. Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Autobahn GmbH, which is responsible for the A42, will also be invited to the meeting. The Münster district government and the state-owned company Straßen.NRW are also expected to report. This is likely to involve the load on the alternative routes.
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 an important east-west link (Kamp-Lintfort-Dortmund) through the middle of the Ruhr region.
The 53-year-old bridge in question has been under particular scrutiny for years because it is not actually designed for the load of 85,000 vehicles a day. A new construction is already planned, but will take several more years. The closure of the A42 continues a whole series of massive traffic problems in North Rhine-Westphalia due to dilapidated highway bridges.
The transport expert from the opposition SPD parliamentary group in the state parliament, Gordan Dudas, explained: "The situation is a disaster for the region." The consequences of the A42 closure would be devastating for traffic, the economy and the population. The black-green state government must show in the special session what concrete measures it is taking to improve the situation. The affected municipalities, in particular Bottrop and Essen, should also be given the opportunity to present their situation to the committee.
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Source: www.stern.de
