Another major transport project is coming up in Munich – and once again trees have to give way. The construction department begins with the preparatory measures for the demolition and new construction of the two so-called Kreuzhof bridges over Fürstenrieder and Boschetsrieder Strasse. To set up the construction site, 138 trees will be felled and bushes will be removed. When the work is completed, probably in 2027, the green areas will be restored with native tree and shrub species and insect-friendly meadows.
More than 65,000 vehicles travel on the A95 motorway in the Kreuzhof area every day. The counting point is underneath the Federal Highway Research Institute Almost 1,900 heavy transport vehicles were recorded in 2021. In previous years there were even more. The two existing, 70 meter long reinforced concrete bridges were built in 1966. The four lanes of the A95 and parts of the on- and off-ramps run over Fürstenrieder and Boschetsrieder Straße.
The Kreuzhof Bridges are two of twelve Munich bridges for which “Sigma prestressing steel” was used in the late 1960s. According to current knowledge, there is a risk of so-called stress corrosion cracking. This means that years of exposure and changes to the material due to environmental influences can become a risk. The construction department regularly checks these bridges. And in the case of the Kreuzhof Bridges, the engineers have determined that a new building is absolutely necessary. The city now has to invest around 54 million euros for this.
The actual construction work is scheduled to begin in summer 2024 and last around three years. Before the old bridges are demolished, the city will build temporary bridges for car traffic; the number of lanes should remain the same. During the demolition work, Fürstenrieder and Boschetsrieder Streets must be partially closed on weekends.
The construction work is coordinated with the municipal utilities – and time is of the essence. Because from December 2027 the section of the Tram west tangent between Ammerseestrasse and Ratzingerplatz already be passable. This route runs under the A95, but the municipal utilities can only lay the tracks once the Kreuzhof bridges are finished.
Another bridge construction project that affects the tram west bypass is the overpass over the A96. This also has to be rebuilt; the municipal utilities will take care of this together with the federal Autobahn GmbH. This work must also be completed by 2027. And then there is the underpass under the railway tracks in Laim, the so-called environmental composite tube. The tram is scheduled to run through this from 2028. Deutsche Bahn is responsible for this construction. There is already a delay of two years here, which is why the municipal utilities had to adjust their schedule for this section.