Germany approves second Rhine bridge despite rising costs

The German Federal Ministry of Transport has approved the construction of a second Rhine bridge, a project with costs that have risen to 475 million euros.

Dr. Zoe Mayer of the Green Party has criticized the decision, arguing that the project is not sustainable or future-proof. Mayer stated that actual traffic numbers are significantly lower than the projections used in the 2011 planning process, which anticipated rising road traffic on the existing bridge. She noted that the current bridge was renovated in 2018/2019 and possesses sufficient capacity with three lanes per direction.

Critics argue that the primary traffic bottleneck is not the Rhine crossing itself, but the subsequent road network in Karlsruhe. Mayer warned that a second bridge would not resolve congestion but would instead deliver more vehicles to the same existing bottlenecks. Additionally, residents in the Neureut district have expressed concerns regarding increased noise, emissions, and through-traffic in residential areas.