Infrastructure in Germany: Schnieder: until 2032, dilapidated bridges should be renovated

For many drivers in Germany, the renovation of ailing bridges in Germany could become a test of patience. “The drivers will first see many construction sites,” said Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) of the German Press Agency in Berlin. “Of course, this leads to restrictions and stress. The perspective is that it gets better afterwards because there is again a perfectly functioning bridge.”

The renovation of the bridges is very urgent. The federal government will operate the priority, said Schnieder. There are about 4,000 bridges that would best have to be renovated quickly. “I assume that we have renovated a large part of these 4,000 bridges by 2032.”

Schnieder confirmed earlier statements by his predecessor Volker Wissing at the period of bridge renovation.

According to the Federal Government’s draft, 2.5 billion euros for bridge renovation are planned in the 2025 budget from the huge special fund for infrastructure and climate protection, and another billion euros in the coming years.

The 4,000 bridges correspond to a bridge area of ​​around 450 soccer fields. “At the beginning we made the big and important bridges and 156 soccer fields have already been made. A third of the area has been renovated, and the rest are and we have to tackle now.”

Schnieder continued: “We also have to get faster. We have to simplify and accelerate procedures, where this is possible. If we build a bridge again in the same place, we have to do a planning approval process so far.” That is very complex and lengthy. “We check everything again, although there was already a bridge. Nobody understands that. So we want to change the procedure to make it faster and easier.”

The Federal Audit Office had accused the Federal Government a renovation of ailing bridges. The ministry had rejected the criticism.