Germany's Steffen Bilger proposes new financing for Autobahn GmbH

German Federal Minister of Transport Steffen Bilger has announced a legislative proposal to allow the state-owned Autobahn GmbH to take out its own loans. This reform aims to provide the company with greater financial flexibility to address the significant maintenance backlog in the German long-distance road network. The move is expected to relieve the federal budget by more than 4 billion euros annually, though critics have raised concerns that this could function as a ‘shadow budget’ by moving debt outside the regular federal budget.

In a related development regarding infrastructure, Bilger reported that the demolition of the Vorlandbrücke at the Bonn Nordbrücke is proceeding on schedule. The Nordbrücke, a vital east-west connection on the A565 motorway used by over 100,000 vehicles daily, has been closed since June due to severe damage. Demolition is expected to conclude in November, with the goal of reopening the bridge to all traffic within two years. In the interim, pedestrians and cyclists may regain access in the coming weeks following the construction of a ramp and stair tower.