Rhine level dropping Line 66 services Bad Honnef again starting Monday

Bonn · The Rhine water level is falling and that means the track for tram line 66 is clear. On Monday, tram line 66 will service Bad Honnef once again according to the normal schedule.

 Picture taken last Friday: Barges anchored on the Rhine near Bonn harbor.

Picture taken last Friday: Barges anchored on the Rhine near Bonn harbor.

Foto: dpa/Marius Becker

The falling level of the Rhine is having a noticeable effect in Bonn and the region. Not only has shipping traffic returned to the river, now tram line 66 is also expected to resume its normal service as of Monday. This was announced by Stadt-Werke Bonn (SWB), on Friday afternoon.

Due to the flooding in the past few days, line 66 could only travel as far as the "Oberdollendorf" stop. Between Oberdollendorf and Bad Honnef, a shuttle service had been set up for passengers. Since then, the SWB emergency services have been able to clean the tracks of the flood debris. The signal systems are currently being checked to ensure that they are functioning properly.

Levels of the Rhine have been falling continuously since Monday

After reaching its highest level this year at 8.31 meters on Sunday, the water level of the Rhine in Bonn is falling. On Monday afternoon, the water level was still just under 8.10 meters. By early Tuesday afternoon, the level had already dropped to around 7.50 meters. Since Friday, the level has been below 5.60 meters.

Shipping traffic on the Rhine has been permitted again since Tuesday. The level had dropped below 8.30 meters in Cologne on Tuesday morning, a spokesman for the Rhine Waterways and Shipping Authority announced. On Tuesday, however, there were still some restrictions: For example, barges would have to keep in the middle third of the river and reduce their speed to avoid creating waves. Normal operations would resume as soon as the level sank a sufficient amount.

Heavy rains and melted snow were the main causes

Heavy rains and melted snow caused flooding in Bonn and the region for more than a week. For several days, the water level of the Rhine exceeded eight meters and caused flooding in many places.

As the city of Bonn announced on Monday, the fire department is keeping a close eye on developments despite the falling water level. Road closures in the city area will remain in place for the time being and the city's public order service will continue to monitor the flooded riverbank areas. Some precautions that had been taken to protect against flooding, have already been removed.

Navigation on the Rhine

Since the Rhine level dropped below six meters on Friday, the Mondorf ferry can resume operations. When the water level is between 6.20 and 6.40 meters, the ferry must be stopped. At 6.80 meters, all navigation on the Rhine ceases. From seven meters, the dam gates between Wolfsgasse and Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Strasse are closed in Beuel, and on the left side of the Rhine, the access roads to the Rhine bank in the area between Schaumburg-Lippe-Strasse to Legionsweg are closed.

The data on the water level are based on measurements collected by the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration. The measuring station is located in Bonn at Rhine kilometer 654.80.

(Orig. text: ga; Translation: ck)
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