Groß Rosenburg. All challenges have been resolved and the planning is now complete – the district council has finally given the go-ahead for the construction of the pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Saale between Groß Rosenburg and Tornitz. With one abstention, the decision was taken to award the construction contract to the consortium comprising Arlt Bauunternehmen GmbH and ZSB Zwickauer Sonderstahlbau GmbH. The company also operates a site in Calbe.
District Administrator Markus Bauer said following the decision: “This project will not only significantly shorten journeys within the unified municipality of Barby, thereby providing a boost to sustainable everyday transport. The bridge will also give a decisive boost to tourism in the region, as it will better link the Elbe Cycle Route and the Saale Cycle Route at this point. This is economic development in its purest form and fully in line with our ‘Salzlandkreis 2030’ strategy for the future!” He compared the project to the Saale Bridge in Bernburg, which has long since become an established feature. The District Administrator therefore thanked the district council members for their support.
During the planning phase, the district administration had to overcome a number of unexpected hurdles, which consequently delayed progress, as Tilo Wechselberger, the head of the department responsible for district development, explains. For instance, there were several rounds of tendering, complicated land issues had to be resolved, and adjustments had to be made on several occasions to comply with nature conservation legislation.
Construction is therefore expected to begin this autumn with the removal of the trees and shrubs, and the opening of the steel truss bridge – which will then be illuminated in blue – is scheduled for April 2028. The project will cost just under seven million euros, for which the Salzlandkreis is receiving five million euros from the federal government’s National Climate Protection Programme. Given the importance of the project, the Salzlandkreis is covering the shortfall from its own funds.
From the Salzlandkreis’s perspective, the new pedestrian and cycle bridge will, above all, promote sustainable mobility in the Barby region. It also provides an alternative to the three ferries, which cannot be used, particularly during periods of low water in summer. Thanks to e-bikes, even longer distances can now be covered without any problems, explains District Administrator Markus Bauer. In future, e-bikes will be able to be charged nearby – at charging stations at the railway stations in Sachsendorf and Gnadau. The stations will also be built as part of the bridge project. The tender for this is yet to be issued.