"According to the city's observations, there are still occasional traffic jams in Rathausgasse," Markus Schmitz from the press office confirms on request. In order to increase the drainage capacity to the B9, the traffic lights at Am Hofgarten/Lennéstraße were changed last week. The public utility company notes that "the situation for our buses, which was difficult at the beginning, has improved considerably", says Veronika John, deputy spokesperson. However, due to obstructions, the buses are sometimes delayed by up to 20 minutes. To make it easier for motorists to find their way, the city has installed additional diversion signs for the Koblenzer Tor construction site.

Further inconvenience for motorists in Bonn will follow. In chronological order: After the Koblenzer Tor road surface renovation, which is planned until the end of June but which, according to the city, may be postponed until mid-July, there will be an extensive closure of the Rhine embankment for cars. Cars will only be able to drive on the Brassertufer between Josefstraße and Rheingasse in order to reach the opera garage. The city council had decided on this.

In July, the surface on Oxfordstraße between Altem Friedhof and Kölnstraße will be renovated. Instead of two lanes, only one lane will be available in each direction. Depending on the section, only buses and cyclists (environmental lane) or only cyclists can use the second lane. In the third quarter of this year, the civil engineering office plans to calm traffic on Bornheimer Straße. This intervention will be linked to a one-way street regulation out of town. For those who want to enter the city, Thomastraße, Kölnstraße or Römerstraße remain as alternatives.

This Monday, the Autobahn GmbH announced that it will completely close the Poppelsdorfer exit from the A565 to Reuterstraße, a main feeder road for workers to the Bundesviertel, for two and a half years from November this year. This will affect both the access coming from the north, i.e. the exit shortly after the Endenich exit, and the access to Reuterstraße coming from the south from Meckenheim. An emergency lane for rescue vehicles is to be maintained. The slip road from Reuterstraße onto the motorway will remain a single lane. After the start of this road surface and noise protection renovation, the city will begin a parallel sewer renovation on Reuterstraße between Argelanderstraße and Bonner Talweg. According to the city's vice-speaker Marc Hoffmann, one lane in each direction will remain open during the 18-month construction period. Construction will begin between autumn 2022 and January 2023. Regarding possible detours, the city stated: "Of course, there will be an exchange of information and coordination between Autobahn GmbH and the city. However, further information on communication and accompanying measures is not yet possible."

To get to the Bundesviertel, as things stand at the moment, the large-scale bypass via the motorway on the right bank of the Rhine and the journey via the Südbrücke (A562) would be an alternative. Cars from the north could leave at Endenicher Ei and reach Reuterstraße via Weststadt and Südstadt. For drivers from the south, the Lengsdorf exit and continuing via Duisdorf, Endenich and Poppelsdorf could be an option. A good part of the journey through these districts leads along single-lane roads.

The planning office continues to prepare a draft resolution for the new test traffic routing on the Hermann-Wandersleb-Ring, which is targeted for the end of the year. There, the city wants to divide the road space differently according to a political decision. The outer lanes are planned as environmental lanes for public transport buses and cyclists. For motorised traffic, there will be one instead of two lanes per direction.

The solutions with the environmental lanes meet with criticism from both the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the taxi cooperative. Sabine Baumann-Duvenbeck, a freight forwarder and member of the IHK board, considers the current traffic policy "a disaster". It is true that it is right to improve inner-city bicycle traffic, for example with the planned bicycle bridges in the extension of Immenburgstraße, "but the security of supply on the main routes must be guaranteed". Even today, cars and especially delivery trucks have to take long detours due to traffic. In addition, she has no understanding for the fact that no diversions recommendations seem to be fixed yet during the closure of the motorway exit Poppelsdorf.

The IHK fears considerable traffic burdens, especially from commuter traffic in the neighbouring residential areas, negative consequences for the traffic flow and additional environmental pollution. "We need a round table and we need it quickly. Otherwise it will be even more difficult for companies to reach their customers and locations in the future," said Stefan Düren, chairman of the IHK transport committee. In order to avoid traffic chaos, a constructive exchange with planners and those affected is urgently needed.

Georgios Avgoustis, chairman of the Bonn Taxi Cooperative, can understand that more space should be allocated to local and bicycle traffic. "What I don't understand is why taxis, as part of public transport, can't ride in the environmental lanes." He said it was already difficult for passengers to understand why taxis had to take detours that affected the fare.

The public utility company Bus und Bahn has been "preparing for weeks for various construction measures in the city centre starting in July, which will also affect public transport", as spokeswoman Veronika John said. The resurfacing of Oxfordstraße will be accompanied by closures, diversions and rail replacement services. "Meanwhile, we support measures to change transport, as SWB Bus und Bahn sees itself as a close partner of the city and a climate protector," said John. He added that there was a constant exchange of views on 30 km/h and environmental lanes.

There are also quite a number of supporters for an inner-city reconstruction of the road infrastructure in favour of cycling and pedestrians. Environmental lanes and additional, preferably secured cycle paths are a demand of the Bonn Cycling Decision. The initiative, which is supported by several transport associations, handed over a list of 28,000 signatures to Mayor Katja Dörner in February last year. The city council passed the Cycling Decision with a broad majority.

Original text: Bettina Köhl and Philipp Königs

Translation: Mareike Graepel