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Germany’s second-highest traffic bridge opens

  • November 21, 2019

Public traffic flowed for the first time across what is now Germany’s second-highest road bridge on Thursday afternoon.

The Hochmoselbrücke, or High Mosel Bridge, stretches 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) across and 160 meters (524 feet) above the Mosel River in western Germany. 

Within Germany, the new bridge in the Rhineland-Palatinate is second only to the 185-meter-high Kochertal bridge in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg.

Read more: World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens in Germany’s Harz region

Authorities expect about 25,000 vehicles a day to cross the bridge that now provides a direct link between the regions of Eifel and Hunsrück.

Several hundred people gathered for the bridge’s opening on Thursday. Over the weekend, thousands of pedestrians crossed the bridge by foot as part of the opening festivities.

“Today is a good day for the Rhineland-Palatinate,” said State Premier Malu Dreyer. She added that she was convinced “that the bridge will help advance our economically strong state even further and will strengthen ties between the people in Eifel and Hunsrück.”

Europe’s largest construction project                                                                

The controversial building project kicked off eight years ago. Some critics argued that the massive bridge would destroy the area’s idyllic vineyard landscape, while environmentalists argued it would pollute the ground water. 

Others spoke out against the cost. The building of the bridge was part of a greater road project that included the construction of an additional 25 kilometers (16 miles) of federal highway. The total project is estimated to havecost €483 million ($535 million), with €175 million dedicated to the bridge alone.

Read more: Everything you need to know about the German autobahn

The opening brings an end to what had been the largest ongoing construction project in Europe.

The bridge and the new stretch of federal highway constitute part of a larger, long-distance road project that will eventually link the Rhine-Main area near Frankfurt with the states of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. 

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Solar flower power, in the shade

    Every year, the German Taxpayers Federation keeps tabs on areas where they believe taxpayer money was wasted and sums up the most egregious cases in its annual “black book.” The 2019 report called out Thuringia’s Environment Ministry for a flower-shaped mini-solar panel sculpture that was installed in the shade. The ministry defended the flower, saying it was never supposed to power the building.

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    A bridge for mice

    After realizing that a new bypass road near the southern German city of Passau cuts through the natural habitat of the dormouse, officials got creative and built a bridge for the mice to safely travel over the road. The German Taxpayer’s Federation (BdSt) had a bone to pick with the resulting structure …

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Perilous path to safety (instructions not included)

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  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Stolen but golden

    This golden bird’s nest was the prized possession of an elementary school in Berlin — until it was stolen. The sculpture, comprised of 74 branches made out of pure gold, was placed in a display case with supposedly shatter-proof glass. According to the BdSt, the artwork cost €92,500. Thieves tried to break in several times and managed to make off with the nest on their third attempt.

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Germany’s failed highway toll

    One of the standouts in this year’s “black book” was German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer’s failed highway toll. Earlier this year, the European Court of Justice ruled against it, saying the toll discriminated against non-Germans. Scheuer had already signed contracts to implement it, which will cost “hundreds of millions of euros” to settle, according to the BdSt.

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Germany’s most expensive sail boat

    Germany’s naval training vessel, the “Gorch Fock,” became the poster child of public spending waste earlier this year when it was revealed that renovating the ship is set to cost taxpayers up to €135 million. The Defense Ministry was accused by auditors of “severe” mismanagement over the project, with the BdSt arguing it would have been cheaper to build a whole new ship.

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Scrutiny of lynx project

    A project reintroduce lynxes in western Germany was also criticized. Although the BdSt agreed it is important to protect to species, they claim much of the €2.7 million budget for the project is being spent in administrative and public relations costs. The organization heading the project said protecting the lynx was more than a “noble goal,” but also a legal requirement in Germany and the EU.

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    The quick paint job that never was

    Earlier this year, the city of Hanover decided that a sculpture by US artist Alexander Calder was in need of sprucing up and installed scaffolding around it. What was supposed to be a quick paint job ended up taking much longer, as the city hadn’t secured permission. Although it was never painted, the scaffolding stayed up for four months before it was eventually taken down, costing €14,000.

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Expensive typos

    Routine local elections in the city of Mainz and three other districts in the state of Rhineland-Palinate ended up costing more than expected this year after the names of candidates were misspelled. Over 500,000 new ballot papers had to be printed over typos like “Aexandra” instead of “Alexandra” and “Freidrich” instead of “Friedrich.” The whole process cost €80,000.

  • Germany’s biggest wastes of taxpayer money in 2019

    Pricey party

    The northern city of Papenburg was called out for throwing a party at an old estate house that ended up costing €30,000 — more than double what was budgeted. Around 250 visitors were invited to an elaborate dinner with string quartet accompaniment, all on the taxpayers’ tab according to the BdSt.

    Author: Rebecca Staudenmaier


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Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-s-second-highest-traffic-bridge-opens/a-51355455?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom

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