Bernburg/Wedlitz. Another ground-breaking ceremony for improved transport infrastructure in rural areas: the Salzlandkreis district has now repaired all flood damage from 2013 on its district roads using funding provided by the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Almost all, that is, as District Road 2101 between Wedlitz, the town of Nienburg (Saale) and State Road 73 – which was also affected – has not yet been resurfaced because the State Agency for Flood Protection and Water Management (LHW) is currently still planning to relocate a dyke in this area.
One thing is clear: the 340 metre long section from the end of Wedlitz in the direction of Nienburg to the first rural road will not be affected by the dyke construction. The Salzland district is therefore now tackling this section. The remaining section will have to wait until the LHW has finalised its planning.
The official ground-breaking ceremony with the district administrator and those involved in the construction took place today, Wednesday. Markus Bauer says: "Every piece of road takes us forward. Our goals are a modern, attractive residential and business location and the corresponding infrastructure. We are deploying all our human and financial resources here with the district and economic development and tourism department and the companies commissioned in the region. I think this is a valuable support for the towns concerned, for local businesses and facilities and, of course, for all users of the roads."
In the case of the K 2101 near Wedlitz, the carriageway surface shows numerous signs of damage caused by the last major flood and has continued to grow. The road surface will be widened to 6.5 metres, which is in line with current standards, at the same time as the road is being resurfaced. A total of around 2,200 square metres of asphalt will then be laid. The company Jaeger Spezial- und Tiefbau GmbH + Co KG Bernburg has been commissioned with the construction work. PMI, Planungsbüro Magdeburg Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, is in charge of the planning.
In preparation for construction, two trees had to be felled in the existing roadside verges. This took place in January, and the compensatory and replacement measures under nature conservation law with compensatory planting along the K 2373 between Schackenthal and Schackstedt have already begun.
Investment costs of 456,000 euros have been budgeted for the overall measure, which the Salzland district is financing exclusively via the state's funding programme to repair flood damage (June flood 2013).
The construction phase with full road closure is expected to be completed by the end of May. "Until then, we ask all residents and road users for their understanding for the measures and necessary restrictions," says district service manager Tilo Wechselberger. A diversion has been signposted for general road traffic on the supra-local network, he adds. A diversion route via rural roads has been set up for public transport buses operated by the district transport company.