Overview
- The project, which holds a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday, will feature speeches by Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder and Autobahn chief Michael Güntner.
- Residents plan a rally at the site after more than 1,400 formal objections to the elevated highway design in Meiderich.
- A provisional order from the Federal Roads Authority allows work at the bridge to start even though the wider six‑lane, 6.7‑kilometer rebuild lacks full approval.
- Inspections in October 2024 found serious load‑bearing defects that forced a heavy‑truck ban at the crossing, and planners target a first new southbound span by 2029 as the old bridge nears its limit.
- City leaders demand a tunnel or a covered trench, and Autobahn GmbH counters that a tunnel would add about €2.3 billion and nearly double construction time.