Renovation of the Rheinaue stop Stadtwerke Bonn to close tracks on the Südbrücke bridge

Bonn · The renovation of the Rheinaue public transport stop is making progress. Work is expected to be completed before the next “Rhine in Flames”. Rail traffic will begin to feel the effects of the work starting on Monday.

SWB staff at the construction area: Deputy spokesman Michael Henseler, Daniel Hechter, Aydin Savas.

Foto: Brodüffel

Below the Konrad-Adenauer-Bridge lies the old green platform roofing in a closed off construction site. It was dismantled after work began on September 23 and awaits disposal. Opposite is a colorful poster on a lantern advertising a “Querbeat” concert on June 27, 2020. The renewed Rheinaue station should be back in operation two months before that.

"We will be finished at the end of April 2020 before Rhine in Flames," assures project manager Aydin Savas from the Transport Division of Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB), the municipal authority in charge of public transportation. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, we are now working around the clock in phases. "We work under high pressure, even in night shifts." The station, built forty years ago on the occasion of the Federal Horticultural Show, was getting on in years. "During the routine inspection of the bridge in 2012, we discovered concrete breaking and rusted iron," explains Daniel Hechter from SWB.

Line 68 will be rerouted

During the reconstruction phase, which will begin soon, the tracks between Ramersdorf and Robert-Schumann-Platz will have to be closed alternately for one week at a time. Then, lines 66 and 68 will only be able to travel in the direction where construction is not taking place on the platform. During this time, the stops between Robert-Schumann-Platz and the University/ Markt can only be served in one direction by line 66. The route of line 68 will be diverted to Bad Godesberg during these two weeks. The stops from Robert-Schuman-Platz to Ramersdorf cannot be reached by line 68 during this time.

From November 11 to 18, the platform will be built on the side of the tracks that goes in the direction of Ramersdorf. In the following week, they will build the platform on the side of the track that goes in the direction of Bonn. The side of the track that has to be closed will be served by a substitute service between the Ramersdorf and Robert-Schuman-Platz stops - Monday to Friday from 6 am to 9 pm. Outside of these times, passengers can reach their destination via Bonn Central Station and Ramersdorf with a longer travel time. There will be no substitute service on Saturdays and Sundays. On these days passengers should plan more time to get to their destination.

Cameras will be mounted

In the nights from Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday, the night bus N7 will be stopping at the tram stops between Olaf-Palme-Allee and Bonn Hauptbahnhof from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.. In the final phase, the roofing over the access ramp to the stop will be set in place. The roofing for the platforms will then be erected and cameras, information displays and loudspeakers installed.

Local public transport in the Rhineland is subsidizing the roofing at the Rheinaue stop (cost: 420,000 euros) and the enclosure for the escalator (cost: 425,000 euros) with a 90 percent contribution. The renewal of the stop cost a total of 1.185 million euros.

(Orig. text: Hans-Peter Brodüffel; Translation: ck)