Bernburg/Elbenau. The town and the district had reached an agreement and, following approval by their respective local councils, had concluded a local authority agreement. The State Ministry of Infrastructure supported the Salzlandkreis’s project.
“We now have the grant notification with the final go-ahead on the table.” District Administrator Markus Bauer had travelled to Elbenau with great delight. Together with his specialist department for District and Economic Development and Tourism, he provided details of the million-euro grant that had been approved for a combined cycle and footpath along District Road 1296, from the bus turning loop at the entrance to the town to the Grünewalde roundabout.
“This will make cycling easier and much safer in these beautiful, green surroundings. The new cycle path, running alongside the district road as part of the regional network, connects cyclists to local routes. It is important for everyday cycling and also for the region’s development as a tourist destination,” says the District Administrator, conveying the message on site. The completion of the construction project by 2029 will delight residents of both Schönebeck districts as well as Mayor Bert Knoblauch. He says: “I am delighted that the Salzlandkreis now wishes to press ahead with the project so quickly. In Grünewalde and, above all, Elbenau, the demand for this cycle path has grown steadily in recent years. This will enable children on their way to school, as well as tourists, to cycle safely and comfortably to local recreational areas. This will take the development of our cycle path network a big step further.”
The federal government provides funding for investment in cycling through the ‘Stadt und Land’ special programme: according to the funding decision, this covers 90 per cent of eligible expenditure, to be paid in four annual instalments into the Saxony-Anhalt state budget by 2029, up to a maximum total of 1.1448 million euros.
“The first tranche of just under 37,000 euros will be available to us before the end of this year,” explains Evelin Wolter, head of department, whose specialist service within the local authority is responsible for everything from applying for grants to planning, construction and final accounts. “A similar amount of funding will be available next year. We will be able to draw down the large sum – one million euros – in 2028, followed by a final allocation of up to almost 65,000 euros.”
The Salzlandkreis is funding the project and providing the necessary own funds, whilst also covering the town of Schönebeck’s share. According to initial plans, this amounts to almost 125,000 euros out of a total estimated cost of 1.272 million euros for the new cycle path, which is approximately 1,850 metres long and two and a half metres wide, running both within and outside built-up areas along the district road.
The engineering consortium WTU GmbH Bad Liebenwerda, which was awarded the contract following a tender process, is already working on the project planning. The brief is to improve the cycle path network – and in particular the local cycle route linking the neighbouring towns of Grünewalde and Elbenau – whilst minimising future maintenance costs. Within Grünewalde, the route is to run to the right or left of the carriageway, preferably as a dedicated cycle path. Outside the town, a combined cycle and footpath is planned alongside the road, following the existing route as far as the new Elbenau bus turning loop.
The project presents a number of challenges, as it affects protected areas and involves the conversion of woodland. Once completed, the Salzlandkreis will be responsible for the construction of the cycle path along the open stretch, whilst KWB will handle its maintenance; the section within Grünewalde’s town limits will be the responsibility of the town of Schönebeck. If everything goes according to plan, construction is scheduled to take place from mid-2028 until spring 2029.
The construction of this cycle path was made possible by a settlement reached between the city and the Salzlandkreis district, with a view to bringing an end to the legal disputes concerning the district levy for the years 2019 and 2022. In a subsequent local authority agreement, the Salzlandkreis district undertook to implement and finance the project using grant funding.
“We would be better off investing this one million euros – which was ultimately at stake – in our infrastructure to promote climate-friendly and safe cycling,” explains District Administrator Markus Bauer. “This is forward-thinking, and it is how we are jointly and tangibly developing our residential and business hub in the rural area between Magdeburg and Halle – as set out in the ‘Salzlandkreis 2030 Future Strategy’.”