Lüdenscheid (dpa / lnw) – One year after the momentous closure of the Rahmede A45 bridge, there are signs of movement in the dispute over a ban on trucks passing through Lüdenscheid. A few days ago, the transport ministries of the federal and state governments of North Rhine-Westphalia changed their previous view that such a ban on driving through was not possible, said a spokesman for the Lüdenscheid bridge builder office on dpa request on Monday. The federal and state governments are now of the opinion that a transit ban for heavy goods traffic is feasible and must be ordered by the municipality.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) had appointed Lüdenscheid Mayor Sebastian Wagemeyer (SPD) as ombudsman for the planned new construction of the viaduct on the central Autobahn 45 (Frankfurt-Dortmund), who runs the bridge builder’s office. Wagemeyer was also invited to talks with Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) on Monday, said Wagemeyer’s spokesman from the Citizens’ Office. The city in the Märkisches Kreis with more than 70,000 inhabitants is clinging to “every straw” after a year of extreme stress.
It is now a question of how to implement a transit ban on site, after the federal and state governments had recently classified this as feasible, explained Mario Bredow. A city concept for this was initially rejected by the Märkischer Kreis in a switching conference with all the actors involved a few days ago. In a further round, an examination of the plans was promised.
A few days ago, Wüst promised relief for Lüdenscheid. “The federal and state governments have jointly made it possible for trucks to be banned,” he told the “Westfälisches Anzeiger”. According to the head of government, the local authorities could now issue the appropriate order. The construction of the new bridge as part of the Sauerland line is being implemented by the federal Autobahn GmbH. The country could help “deal with the consequences of the lockdown,” Wüst said.
Signs on the A45 indicate extensive detours via other motorways. Nevertheless, according to the Brückenbauer office, around 20,000 additional vehicles have been driving through Lüdenscheid every day since the closure, including around 6,000 trucks – some of which are purely transit traffic.
