Bernburg. A bumpy district road that is hardly ever used is being turned into the next cycle lane. The Salzlandkreis district is gradually implementing its plans for sensible and feasible investments in the future. This week, District Administrator Markus Bauer signed cooperation agreements between the district and the town of Egeln and the municipality of Börde-Hakel for the expansion of the K 1301 with the mayors – Gordon Tamm (2nd from right) as representative for Reinhard Luckner and Tim Heberling (left in the picture). The district road connects the towns of Egeln and Hakeborn in the Egelner Mulde valley. In both cases, the co-signatory is therefore the association of municipalities, for which its mayor, Michael Stöhr (right in the picture), signed the agreement.
"We are focussing on sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility in the expansion of our infrastructure and are continuing to shape the Salzlandkreis district as a residential and business location in line with our agreed ideas," says District Administrator Markus Bauer. "With the planned implementation of this project, the Salzland district is actively contributing to the improvement of regional transport routes and once again setting an example for the promotion of cycling." In spring, Markus Bauer sealed an agreement with his Bördekreis counterpart to create a route exclusively for today's cyclists for the first time in the region and across districts, between Unseburg in the Egelner Mulde and Altenweddingen in the neighbouring district.
In this next project in the Egelner Mulde area, the Salzland district is once again responsible for the planning and expansion, is taking care of the necessary funding and is providing its own funds. The measure includes a fundamental renewal of the road over a length of 3.4 kilometres. The upgrading of the old stretch begins at the junction with the B 180 federal road and ends in the Hakeborn district.
Recently, less than 400 vehicles travelled along the K 1301 in this area within a week, partly due to its condition. This is because it still consists of cobblestones and is in urgent need of refurbishment for modern use. For this reason, the district economic operator carried out a traffic count in 2022. Since then, all further preparatory work, discussions and votes in the district council and in the councils of the municipalities have been ongoing until the current cooperation agreement was reached.
The Salzland district has applied for funding for the project from the state administration office. Over 1.7 million euros are expected to be invested by 2027, ten per cent of which will be the district's own funds. Saxony-Anhalt is promoting sustainable, multimodal mobility in cities and their commuter areas as part of the ERDF/JTF programme 2021-2027. County, state and EU funding will be used to improve cycling and implement the plans of the Salzland district and local authorities in accordance with their own cycling concept.
Detailed planning is due to begin in autumn 2025. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2027. Prior to this, the Salzland district will form a working group with representatives from the municipality of Börde-Hakel, the town of Egeln and the municipality of Egelner Mulde in the further planning process.
Mayor of the municipality Michael Stöhr says: "Cycling is on the increase and is also becoming more and more important. However, the basic prerequisite for relaxed cycling is a well-developed infrastructure. Our joint project will make our region even more attractive and the old bumpy track between Egeln and Hakeborn will be a thing of the past."
Once the construction work is complete, the asphalted carriageway will be three and a half metres wide so that cyclists will be able to travel comfortably and safely. The roadworks will significantly improve the quality of the road, especially for public cycle traffic. In addition, agricultural vehicles will be able to access the neighbouring areas via separate field access roads. Upon completion and the change in use of the newly designed, low-maintenance section, the district road will be graded as a municipal road and transferred free of charge. The town of Egeln and the municipality of Börde-Hakel are responsible for maintenance. This is regulated in the signed agreements, among other things.