Ziegelhäuser Bridge: The local council will decide on the new building on July 24th!

Ziegelhäuser Bridge: The local council will decide on the new building on July 24th!

The Ziegelhäuser Bridge in Heidelberg, which connects Ziegelhausen and Schlierbach, is in urgent need of new construction. The structural condition of the bridge is alarming, which is why the city of Heidelberg has already developed four planning variants for the new replacement building. On July 1, 2025, the urban development and building committee unanimously voted in favor of the preferred option, which will be presented to the local council for a resolution on July 24, 2025 MRN News reports.

These measures are necessary to improve the current condition of the bridge. Since it was built as a prestressed concrete bridge in 1954, it has no longer been sufficiently dimensioned for today's traffic conditions. The existing safety measures, which have been in force since March 2020 (including a speed limit of 30 km/h and a maximum vehicle load of 3.5 tonnes), cost around 1.3 million euros.

Planning variants at a glance

The four planning variants that were examined are:

• Variante 1: Breitere Brücke mit getrennten Geh- und Radwegen, keine Ausweichroute während der Bauzeit.
• Variante 2: Radwegsteg auf der Brückenseite Richtung Altstadt, ermöglicht Übergang während der Bauzeit, weniger Grundstücke betroffen.
• Variante 3: Radwegsteg auf der Brückenseite Richtung Neckartal, Zugang über geschwungene Rampe – diese Variante wird empfohlen.
• Variante 4: Keine Pfeiler im Fluss, teurer und breiter, keine Querung während der Bauzeit.

The third variant is particularly favored because it enables safe traffic routing with minimal interference with existing properties. This variant also provides for a footbridge to be installed before the old bridge is demolished.

Safety measures and construction time

The condition of the Ziegelhäuser Bridge is critical and requires immediate action. From July 21 to August 3, 2025, the bridge will be closed to motorized traffic in both directions while a structural sampling is carried out. Detours will be set up via the Theodor Heuss Bridge and the Friedensbrücke in Neckargemünd. Pedestrians, cyclists and public transport can continue to use the bridge during this time.

The bridge is used by around 6,600 vehicles every day. The structural condition has deteriorated to such an extent that it will no longer be possible to use it by 2029 at the latest. In order to keep the bridge stable until it is replaced, extensive maintenance measures are required, including the reinforcement of concrete elements and the installation of safety nets.

The city of Heidelberg has pushed ahead with plans for a new construction of the Ziegelhäuser Bridge and must now take all the necessary steps to improve traffic safety as soon as possible, according to the statement heidelberg.de. The results of the structural sampling will be incorporated into the final plans.

There is great public interest in the new building, and the city administration is faced with the responsible task of taking both the safety and needs of road users into account.