The renovation of dilapidated bridges in the German road network is likely to be much more expensive than previously thought. The responsible Autobahn GmbH has reported an additional requirement worth billions.
The residents of Lüdenscheid experience every day what consequences the failure of a motorway bridge can have. Since the Rahmedetal Bridge suddenly had to be closed for safety reasons in December 2021, traffic on the Sauerland line has been rolling steadily through the urban area in the Märkisches Kreis.
The new construction of the bridge, which has now been blown up, is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2027. A first section is scheduled to open in May 2026, which will allow traffic on the A45 to flow over four narrowed lanes again.
10,000 bridges Renovation needed
The economic damage from the full closure is also enormous. In March 2022, those responsible responded with a “bridge summit” between Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), infrastructure experts and the construction industry in order to avoid such total failures and permanent traffic jams in the future.
The following package of measures from the Minister of Transport provided for a significant acceleration of the bridge renovation. The “renovation backlog” affects 4,000 bridges on motorways and federal highways, said Wissing. The funding for this should be increased from 4.5 billion euros to 5.7 billion euros in 2026.
According to the ministry, there are a total of around 40,000 motorway and federal highway bridges with 52,000 sections. Of these, more than 10,000 would need to be modernized.
Goal “completely unrealistic”
But the ambitious plan to double the pace to 400 bridge renovations per year and to have the renovation backlog overcome by 2032 is in danger of failing. In January, the Federal Audit Office described this goal as “completely unrealistic”.
This is due to a lack of staff and poor planning at the responsible Autobahn GmbH, which also prioritizes less urgent projects, for example. Last year, the federally owned company only completed 238 projects, whereas 438 bridge renovations are necessary every year, according to inspectors.
Additional requirements of around 5.5 billion euros
As has now become known, Autobahn GmbH itself expects significantly higher costs than previously thought for the renovation of dilapidated bridges and the modernization of the motorway network. At the request of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, the company announced that it had additional financing needs totaling around 5.5 billion euros for the years 2025 to 2028.
These would have to be raised in addition to the previously planned funds of 8.6 billion euros annually in order to ensure construction and planning and to hire urgently needed personnel. Otherwise there is a risk that some projects will not be implemented as planned, according to the “FAZ”.
The bridge modernization program is a significant cost driver, added the spokesman for Autobahn GmbH. Faster planning for the renewal of the bridges is a priority for society.
The federal government joins in Infrastructure tasks not behind
The news is a further setback for the federal government’s efforts to tackle the investment backlog in Germany’s transport infrastructure. For the originally planned general renovation of the German railway lines, the original target of an additional 40 billion euros by 2027 had to be significantly reduced due to budget problems. Meanwhile, according to Deutsche Bahn’s assessment, the rail network has continued to deteriorate.
In view of the massive need for investment, Federal Transport Minister Wissing recently announced a new one Infrastructure fund proposed, from which the maintenance of railways, roads and waterways should also be financed with private investors. However, the initiative is still at the beginning of the discussion.