The explosive ordnance disposal service is already ready. Before the railway bridge on Lindwurmstrasse is dismantled and the roadway is torn up, the underground must first be searched for explosive contamination from the Second World War.
The dilapidated bridge, which is more than 100 years old, needs to be completely rebuilt. The city is taking the opportunity to lower the roadway by 1.1 meters so that trams can pass through the underpass again in the future. It is uncertain whether a tram will actually run between Lindwurmstrasse and Harras one day – but the city did not want to block this possible route.
After initial preparatory work since the beginning of March, construction work on the so-called Lindwurm underpass began in earnest last Monday.
Since then, car traffic has only passed under the bridge out of town. And that only goes straight: Turning left from Lindwurmstrasse into Implerstrasse is currently no longer possible. Further south, at the junction to Aberlestrasse, there is currently no route towards Implerstrasse. The passage to Lindwurmstraße is closed until at least April 7th due to construction work on the power grid.
Cars will no longer be able to pass through the underpass to the northern section of Lindwurmstrasse into the city until August 2028, but cyclists and pedestrians can still pass through it. For drivers, this means detours: The city and Deutsche Bahn recommend Radlkoferstraße and the underpass from Thalkirchner Straße to Tumblingerstraße as the nearest crossings of the railway tracks. The bridge over the tracks on Radlkoferstrasse can be reached via Pfeuferstrasse; after the bridge, road users can return to Lindwurmstrasse via Hans-Fischerstrasse and Poccistrasse.
Only cyclists and pedestrians can pass through the Lindwurm underpass into the city.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Preparatory work for demolition has begun on the side of the Lindwurm underpass leading into the city.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
You can get to Thalkirchner Straße from Implerstraße via Oberländerstraße or Valleystraße. For a long bypass, you can take a detour via Schäftlarnstrasse and Lagerhausstrasse, from which you can return to Lindwurmstrasse via Tumblingerstrasse and Ruppertstrasse. Those who know the area should also take Bavariastrasse, which leads from Lindwurmstrasse directly to Poccistrasse or Hans-Fischer-Strasse.
From June 3rd to July 8th this year, the underpass must be completely closed to all road users. A free shuttle bus will then take pedestrians to the other side of the underpass. The stops will be on Poccistraße following the existing MVG bus stop and on Lindwurmstraße in front of the technical college building. The diversion for cyclists from both directions leads through Bavariastrasse. A further full closure for all types of traffic is planned from mid-October 2025 to early December 2025.
Now, during the holidays, there is no excessive traffic on the diversion routes, neither in the morning nor in the afternoon. But that can still change: Ruppertstrasse, in particular, which connects Lindwurmstrasse with Tumblingerstrasse, is a bottleneck where progress is sometimes slow, especially when buses and trucks meet.
By the way, the iron lindworm that adorns the historic railing of the railway bridge will not be scrapped despite the demolition. According to the DB, the Art Nouveau railing will be restored and reattached to the new bridge.