There was so much traffic in the city late on late Monday afternoon that many buses were delayed on many routes and some even had to be cancelled, SWB spokesperson Stefanie Zießnitz confirmed in response to a question from our editorial team on Tuesday. "Traffic was also backed up on Rathausgasse. In addition, there was an accident near Kaiserplatz, so buses had to take a diversion through Hofgarten," Zießnitz continued. Passengers waiting at the Markt bus stop were informed by the display that the stop could temporarily not be reached.

Many motorists heading north who used the diversion from Zweite Fährgasse along the banks of the Rhine to avoid the construction at Koblenzer Tor were also taken completely by surprise by the closure. The official diversion route at the Opera House leads via Rheingasse to Belderberg, from where you can turn right and continue north towards Römerstraße or take the left turn towards Stadthaus. But many drivers apparently used to drive north along the Brassertufer under the Kennedybrücke bridge to avoid the traffic jam caused by the traffic lights at Rheingasse/Belderberg. This is no longer possible. Now everyone - including traffic coming from the north - has to drive via Rheingasse.

The City of Bonn recently announced that work would gradually begin to calm traffic on the banks of the Rhine between Rosental and Josefstraße. Starting on Monday, 2 May, the civil engineering office will carry out the marking and signposting work for the bicycle lane in the northern area.

After completion of the work, which the city says will probably take several days, there will be a bicycle lane between Rosental and Josefstraße. Access to the multi-storey car park at the Opera House and the possibility to turn off from the Kennedy Bridge in the direction of Rheingasse will remain. "As announced, closing the road to private car traffic because of construction work will only take place at a later date. The city is therefore asking drivers to take special care because of the changed traffic situation," a press release of 20 April continues. As reported, southbound traffic between Rheingasse and Zweite Fährgasse has already been stopped, and about 150 parking spaces have been eliminated. The entire southbound lane is now only open for bicycle traffic.

It is true that everyone knew that in the course of the Rhine bank redevelopment and redesign, the areas on the banks of the river were to be largely traffic-calmed, said an audibly outraged Jannis Vassiliou, chairperson of the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg-Euskirchen (EHV) retail association, on Tuesday. But he had assumed that until the Koblenz Gate was completed, probably in mid-July, motorists would still be able to use the route along the banks of the Rhine to the north. In any case, the current closure has not been clearly communicated so far.

The administration itself had asked politicians to keep this diversions route on the Rhine bank free to prevent gridlock in the city. But this has now happened: "For me, there is only an ideological plan behind it to the detriment of Bonn. The city centre is now completely closed to car traffic," criticises Vassiliou. EHV press spokesperson Michael Forst adds that those who will suffer most from the new traffic routing, including the capping of the Cityring at Maximilianstraße weeks ago, will be motorists and above all the residents of Südstadt. "Many motorists are now trying to avoid the traffic jam on the B9 by driving through the Südstadt."

Deputy city spokesperson Marc Hoffmann explained the new situation on the banks of the Rhine: "Since 30 March the city administration has in various publications made it clear that in phase 2 of the gradual traffic calming on the banks of the Rhine, the northern section, between Rheingasse and Rosental, will be predominantly reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, and access for private vehicles between Rosental and Josefstraße will be reserved for residents, people with limited mobility and necessary service vehicles." He continued: "Following reports about traffic problems, on Wednesday morning the city administration will check whether the Rhine bank from Rheingasse towards the north can be reopened in the short term during the construction work site at Koblenzer Tor." (Original article: Lisa Inhoffen and Philipp Königs / Translation: Jean Lennox)