Bernburg/Nienburg. The Salzlandkreis district continues to advocate for a cycle path alongside the road between Nienburg and Altenburg. "It is good that, thanks to our initiative, the state road construction authority finally wants to build the cycle path as part of the planned renovation of the A65 between the two towns. However, based on the information available to us so far, we are quite clear: it must be a cycle path alongside the road," says District Administrator Markus Bauer. The cycle path through the Bode floodplain, which has been the preferred option of the state road construction authority to date, is not a good solution, especially for schoolchildren.
The District Administrator says: "We want to portray the best image of the Salzland district as an attractive place to live, do business and study. This not only includes needs-based mobility options such as cycle paths. It is also important that local people are allowed to design their own infrastructure." The cycle path between Nienburg and Altenburg along the state road would be around 1.2 kilometres long. Three smaller bridges would be required for construction.
Background: The state road construction authority had informed the Salzland district that the current preferred option envisages a route on an existing farm track largely without a connection to state road 65. The Salzlandkreis is not aware of the reasons for this. The district administration has not been involved in the previous consideration of variants. For this reason, the district administrator has now invited the responsible state road construction authority to a meeting in Bernburg.
As part of this consultation, Markus Bauer and Nienburg's mayor Susan Falke will once again express the will of the local population. "In line with our strategy for the future, we want to offer schoolchildren as well as employees the opportunity to commute safely and sustainably between Nienburg and Bernburg by bike. This requires a cycle path alongside the road," explains the district administrator. He also refers to the section already built between Altenburg and Bernburg, where cyclists can travel alongside the road. "This variant has proved its worth."
Mayor Susan Falke adds that she cannot understand why the cycle path should not be built alongside the road as things currently stand. "The service road favoured by the state road construction authority is located in the flood zone. In the event of flooding, the cycle path can no longer be used. That can't be desirable!" She explains that the city council is regularly asked by citizens about the status of the project. "Everyone wants the construction work between Nienburg and Altenburg to start now!"
The state Ministry of Transport had already included the cycle path link in the priority list in 2018 and held out the prospect of constructing the cycle path in 2024. However, there are still no plans ready for approval. Tilo Wechselberger, the head of the Salzland district's department responsible for district development, says: "We fully understand that not everything can always be done immediately due to financial constraints. However, six years of preliminary planning is too much. The costs for the construction of the cycle path will continue to rise with every year of delay due to the general increase in construction prices. That doesn't have to be the case."
For years, the Salzland district has been committed to ensuring that cycle path connections between individual locations are taken into account in infrastructure projects. For example, the district administration is working with various towns and municipalities to build new cycle paths to meet demand. Where the Salzland district is not responsible, the district administration represents the interests of the region. District Administrator Markus Bauer assures: "We have successfully campaigned for the state to prioritise the cycle path between Nienburg and Bernburg. Now we will continue to work to ensure that the option of a roadside cycle path, which is necessary from the point of view of the entire region, is brought back into focus."