Repairs on the Bad Godesberg tunnel A closed tunnel could mean traffic chaos
Bad Godesberg · Up to 40,000 vehicles pass through the tunnel in Bad Godesberg daily. But as of July, drivers will need much patience as repairs on the tunnel’s ventilation system will require long term closures.
The tunnel will have to be closed in both directions alternately for a half year. Traffic chaos is expected; it will be a trying time for drivers who use the tunnel regularly. Some businesses expect a slump in sales. “The tunnel needs to updated technically for safety purposes, especially a renewal of the ventilation system,” says Bonn’s head of the civil engineering bureau for road works, Peter Esch. “The necessary repairs will be done between July 2017 and mid-2018.”
Especially challenging is the fact that completely closing either direction is unavoidable. “Three holes, each spanning three meters, have to be drilled into the ceiling of the tunnel to put in new exhaust ventilators, directly over the lanes where vehicles drive,” explained Esch. The bureau for road works cannot yet say in which part of the tunnel they will begin with repair work. It is also not clear how traffic will be directed around the closed tunnel. “On the one hand, we are working on a ventilation concept, and on the other we are developing a plan to manage the traffic,” remarked Esch.
It is being investigated whether traffic should be rerouted above ground, or if one of the concrete tubes should be converted so that traffic can pass through in both directions. “Then we would separate the lanes with a wall,” said Esch. Whether or not this is even possible is decided by the fire department. “In an emergency, every part of the tunnel has to be accessible,” emphasized Esch. In the event of a fire, the new ventilation system would remove the smoke by vacuum and clear it out of the tunnel very quickly. According to Esch, the ventilators move at the speed of 120 kilometers/hour. The tunnel’s renewal will cost about 1.66 million euros.
Drivers fear the worst: “I use the tunnel daily on my way to work,” says Stephan Kübbler, who works at a car rental service on Wurzerstraße. “I will ultimately have to allot more travel time to get to work, because there will surely be traffic chaos here.” Other businesses face problems, too. “I have to go through the tunnel multiple times a day,” says an electrician from Bad Godesberg. “With the tunnel completely closed, I will probably be late to every appointment.” This would also annoy clients.
Taxi companies fear that they will lose customers, too. According to Nasser Aboulfath of the Bad Godesberg taxi company San Taxi, “A regular trip from Bad Godesberg train station into the city costs about 16 euros, when the street is open. If you are rerouted or there is traffic, the trip can be at least 5 to 6 euros more expensive, because the meter runs on time.” This could scare away clients.
Orig. text: Dennis Sennekamp, Translation: Geena Kloeppel
