Erfurt (dpa/th) – The last segments for the construction of a barrier-free bridge for pedestrians and cyclists near Erfurt’s main train station are in place. As the city of Erfurt informed, the last part of the bridge was successfully lifted with a crane on Tuesday morning. This means that the smaller of the two bridge branches is complete and the so-called promenade deck is complete, according to the city. “Now we’re on the home stretch,” said a city spokeswoman on Tuesday. However, it is not yet walkable or driveable.
“Fine work is still needed for this. The bridge will have its railings and a sure-footed surface on the top. The lighting and seating will also be installed,” it said. The major project is intended to connect the future ICE-City district of Erfurt with the city centre. Completion was once scheduled for April 2021, with costs estimated at around 8.6 million euros. There was around 5.7 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund for this. Ultimately, the bridge should now be able to be used from December 2022 from Schmidtstedter Ufer via Flutgraben to Stauffenbergallee and vice versa. The total costs were last updated by the city to 13.7 million euros. There have not yet been any further demands from the construction companies working at the Schmidtstedter node. The city spokeswoman said that the talks are under way and that they are well on the way to agreeing on a sum for the additional payment.