Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg

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Coordinates: 50 ° 35 ′ 47 "  N , 8 ° 40 ′ 16"  E

Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg
Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg
The Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg on May 3rd, 2014 - three days after its inauguration.
use Pedestrians, cyclists
Crossing of Lahn
place Giessen , ( Hessen , Germany )
construction Suspension bridge
overall length 152 m
width 4 m
Longest span 50 m
height 24 m
Headroom 4.5 m
building-costs 3.5 million euros
start of building November 29, 2012
opening May 1, 2014
planner Uwe Weber, Joachim Swillus
location
Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg (Hesse)
Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg

The Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg is a bicycle and pedestrian bridge that spans the Lahn in the central Hessian town of Gießen . Constructed as a project as part of a state horticultural show , the footbridge was opened in spring 2014 after a year and a half of construction. It is one of eight crossings of the river in the urban area and goes back to infrastructural and urban planning considerations that arose at the beginning of the 20th century.

location

On both sides of the Lahn, the ramps of the Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg run through allotment garden areas . It crosses the river, which flows in a straight line from north to south at this point, almost completely at right angles - i.e. in a west-east orientation. The bridge is an extension of the Sudetenlandstrasse on the east bank, which bends to the north west of the embankment of the Main-Weser Railway and merges into the Wissmarer Weg. The entrance to the footbridge is in this bend. On the west bank the corresponding ramp leads into the Leimenkauter Weg.

For the first time, the bridge creates a direct connection between the “statistical districts” Weststadt and Nordstadt, which, however, both belong to the “district” of the core city. From the east bank you can now reach the former rubber island workers' settlement in the west without much ado - for example coming from the residential district Flussstrasse district .

description

The supporting structure of the Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg is a back-anchored steel - reinforced concrete - suspension bridge with raised ramps on both sides. The eastern ramp is 54 meters long and the western one is 49 meters long. The circular A-pylons of the bridge on both banks of the Lahn are visible from afar as landmarks . They are each 24 meters high and weigh ten tons, incline slightly towards the middle of the bridge and consist of round steel tubes with a diameter of 355.6 millimeters (≈ 35.5 centimeters). Between the pylons, the bridge over the river has a headroom of 4.5 meters and a main span of 49 meters; their total length thus adds up to 152 meters. The suspension cables are fully locked spiral ropes that are connected to the pylons with fork heads. It should be noted that they do not also support the ramps, as these are supported by pillars. On the banks of the bridge, the cables are therefore anchored in the ground to stabilize the pylons. Accordingly, hangers can only be found in the area of ​​the main span ; they are installed vertically. The superstructure height is 30 centimeters and the bridge deck made of semi - prefabricated parts and in-situ concrete - with the four-meter wide carriageway - was constructed using composite construction.

history

Earlier planning

The idea of ​​constructing a bridge over the Lahn as an extension of the Sudetenlandstrasse dates back to the early years of the 20th century. On June 11, 1914, the city ​​councilor Robert Sommer - full-time professor of psychiatry at Gießen Ludwigs University - had demanded a better connection between the city and the Lahn and, for this purpose, the construction of a wooden bridge at the said point. He complained that the embankment cut off Gießen from the river in this area. In 1935 the idea was first mentioned in a plan by the municipal building and civil engineering department.

The municipal general traffic plan of 1967 provided for a four-lane north bypass within the scope of the then planning for a “ car- friendly city ” , which should lead from the Ursulum street in the eastern part of the city, through the Wieseckaue , via the Sudentenlandstrasse to the Gleiberger Weg in the western part of the city . However, there was no implementation. In the 1980s, the civil engineering department considered setting up a ferry connection between West and North City. The idea of ​​a bridge over the Lahn was given concrete form again in 1996, when the city council unanimously passed a corresponding project resolution. Although the implementation was decided in 2000 and the planned construction costs were already stated at two million D-Marks , in the end there was again no construction due to a change of government and the associated shift in priorities.

Construction phase

The roadway of the bridge in October 2014. In the acute angle of the pylon (compared to the photo in the info box), the street lamps that have meanwhile been installed can be seen.

It was only after Gießen was awarded the contract to organize the Hessian State Garden Show 2014 in March 2008 that the idea was taken up again as a concrete project. As part of this exhibition, the two main locations “Wieseckaue” and “Lahnaue”, which were connected by three corridors, were designed in the city area. The Lahn crossing to be built was seen as an essential part of the “North City Corridor”. Florian Rentsch ( FDP ) - at that time the Hessian Minister for Economy, Transport and State Development - attached great importance to the bridge for the flourishing cycle tourism in the region, independent of the state garden show .

Uwe Weber's engineering office for structural engineering was responsible for planning the bridge. Joachim Swillus, a freelance architect from Berlin , was entrusted with the artistic revision of the bridge design and also designed the pylons. At the end of September 2012, the construction contract was put out to tender . A consortium of the companies Adolf Lupp GmbH & Co. KG (from Nidda ), Stahlbau Schulte GmbH (from Bergneustadt ) and Eurovia was awarded the contract to carry out the construction work, and engineers from the Stuttgart office of Schlaich Bergermann Partner were responsible for the structural testing .

The groundbreaking ceremony finally took place on November 29, 2012. So that the bridge could be built at the intended location, a family made their allotment plot available as building land. In order to finally close the bridge, it was necessary to temporarily lower the water level of the Lahn by one meter at the beginning of November 2013. Compared to the original planning, the embankments on both sides of the structure were made somewhat steeper during the construction phase to allow passage under the ramps. Furthermore, small paved squares were designed in the east and west at the respective junctions of the bridge with the existing road network. The surrounding green areas were converted into orchards parks, on which, in addition to the preserved fruit trees, other old apple varieties typical of the region were planted. On the east bank of the Lahn, the construction of the Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg also called for the implementation of a new traffic system in order to be able to safely guide cyclists from the city center over the Wißmarer Weg to the bridge approach. For this purpose, the curve of the Wissmarer Weg was widened, creating space for a crossing island. In this way, cyclists traveling out of town, in particular, can safely cross the road towards the bridge.

On May 1, 2014 - five days after the start of the State Garden Show - the bridge was officially opened in the presence of over 500 interested parties. The ceremony was also attended by the Hessian Prime Minister Volker Bouffier ( CDU ), the Gießen Lord Mayor Dietlind Grabe-Bolz ( SPD ) and the Mayor Gerda Weigel-Greilich ( Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen ). Only after the footbridge had been completed could street lighting elements be installed on the two pylons in the course of May . The local Stadtwerke Gießen were commissioned to fix the lamps , which resulted in cost savings for the consortium compared to the possible inclusion of lighting in the construction contract.

financing

The cost of the project was initially around 2.2 million euros , but increased to 2.8 million euros before construction began. Ultimately, it was calculated with total costs of 3.665 million euros. In fact, they amounted to around 3.5 million euros, of which 1.72 million could be covered by state subsidies. The savings resulted from cheaper pavements for the roadway and railings as well as the steeper slopes.

At the beginning of September 2017, the administrative authority Hessen Mobil - Road and Traffic Management wrote to the city of Gießen unexpectedly demanding the repayment of 250,000 euros of the state funding with a payment deadline on October 5th. The reason given was that there was criticism of the type of construction contract award that took place in 2012. Although the city refrained from appealing , Mayor Gerda Weigel-Greilich defended the award practice at the time. On November 6th, the magistrate applied to the main and finance committee for an above-planned payment of 158,100 euros - this sum resulted from the consideration of funds for bridge construction, operation and maintenance. The motion was accepted by the parties without discussion and votes against and then submitted to the city council for decision.

criticism

In contrast to the state horticultural show, which parts of the Giessen population were at times extremely critical of allegedly serious interference with nature and the rumored waste of public funds, the Lahn bridge project hardly met with protest. The vast majority of the direct residents welcomed the construction.

However, the changes to the traffic routing in the parcel areas on both banks of the Lahn that had become necessary due to the construction of the bridge caused massive resentment among the direct allotment garden neighbors. The criticism arose for the first time at a municipal information event in the Bürgerhaus Nordstadtzentrum on February 11, 2012. Originally, the paths between the allotments on both sides of the river were designed as circular paths. In the autumn of 2013, bollards were installed on the paths that now led under the ramps, which prevent cars from passing through, restrict turning options and force residents to detour. The bollards were supposed to stay standing, which the allotment gardeners showed no understanding for. Although the clearance under the ramps is around three meters each and would therefore be suitable for normal cars, the city authorities would like to give preference to potential cyclists by blocking them for motorists and it was hoped that the traffic-calmed riverside path would make the area even more attractive for this target group . At the end of October 2013, a residents' meeting was held on this topic, to which Mayor Gerda Weigel-Greilich had invited. However, several alternatives suggested by the residents - for example a one-way system on the paths - were not taken into account. During the opening ceremony on May 1, 2014, some allotment gardeners protested against the installation of the bollards with posters and signs.

In mid-August 2014 - a few months after the inauguration - the frustration of the allotment gardeners at the restriction of their traffic routes was still acute. Some representatives complained that the public participation promised by the city in advance had not been kept in the planning process. In addition, some allotment gardeners rated the bridge as "slightly oversized", but at the same time also showed understanding that a minimum clearance height was necessary in order not to hinder navigation on the river. The signs initially proved to be inadequate. In particular, cyclists who used the Lahntal cycle path complained that the Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg was difficult to find. Another point of criticism on the part of the cyclists was that - crossing the bridge in an easterly direction - when entering the Sudetenlandstrasse they were not yet sufficiently protected from approaching cars. Two years later, in July 2016, users of the bridge were still dissatisfied with the traffic situation at the junction with Wißmarer Weg. Central points of criticism during several site inspections were the excessive speed of passing cars and poor visibility of the curve. The critics accused the regulatory office of inaction. A proposal by the municipal transport committee to introduce a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour in this area was also approved by the road traffic authority. The regional council of the district of Gießen spoke out against it, however, because “nothing has happened yet” and “there is no qualified danger situation” in the area of ​​the crossing island. The existing pedestrian numbers would also not justify the application of a zebra crossing . The urban traffic coordinator Ralf Pausch (independent) admitted that the location of the crossing was "unfavorable" and agreed to collect the numbers of daily pedestrian crossings again. As soon as the “necessary values” have been reached, zebra crossings can also be applied without the approval of the regional council.

Naming

During the planning phase and in the first months of construction, the Lahn crossing was given the working title “Nordstadtbrücke”. The city administration issued a public appeal to the population to find a name. The corresponding procedure was explained for the first time in June 2012, whereupon the first unofficial proposals were already circulating. Citizens' participation officially began with the groundbreaking ceremony. From this day on, the people of Giessen had the opportunity to contribute ideas for two weeks - online, by post and at three district events.

At the end of 2012, a total of 152 name suggestions had been submitted, 50 of which referred to the names of natural persons . Even at this point in time, Ludwig Christoph Rübsamen was considered one of the most likely namesake. The suggestion was supported by all of the Giessen rowing clubs and came from Rolf Beck, who had repeatedly campaigned for a place on the Lahn to be named after Rübsamen since 1996. The shortlist also included:

The city's road designation commission proposed by a large majority that the bridge be named after Rübsamen. In mid-April 2013 the magistrate approved the proposal, on May 6th the members of the main parliamentary committee unanimously followed the recommendation and on May 16th a corresponding resolution was finally passed by the city council.

Ludwig Christoph Rübsamen (1823–1889) came from Butzbach and was a trained locksmith . Democratically minded got involved in the German Revolution of 1848/1849 and then found his home in Giessen. There he worked as a gymnastics teacher at MTV Gießen as well as at high schools and at the university. In addition, he managed a bathing establishment and a gravel works in the Lahn and was one of the founding members of the Giessen rowing society in 1877 and the Giessen volunteer fire department .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Profile of the Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg on the homepage of the engineering office Schlaich Bergermann Partner. Retrieved from sbp.de on October 9, 2019.
  2. ↑ a b Hartmut Sorg: "Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg takes shape". On February 3, 2014 on regattaverein-giessen.de . Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  3. ↑ a b "New bridge over the Lahn officially opened". On May 1st, 2014 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  4. ↑ a b "New Lahnbrücke: First groundbreaking after 77 years". On November 29, 2012 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  5. ↑ a b c d "Lahnbrücke: construction may not start until the end of November". On October 18, 2012 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  6. ↑ a b "Rübsamen Bridge on the Lahn is growing". On October 17, 2013 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f Frank-Oliver Docter: “The city's awarding practice during the construction of the Christoph-Rübsamen footbridge was criticized”. On November 7th 2017 on giessener-anzeiger.de ( Gießener Anzeiger ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  8. ↑ a b c d e Christian Momberger: "Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg opened". On May 1, 2014 on giessener-zeitung.de ( Gießener Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  9. ↑ "New Lahn Bridge: Lighting should come in May". On May 12, 2014 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  10. ↑ a b Andreas Läufer: "From residents, the state horticultural show and lemons ...". On November 16, 2013 on giessener-zeitung.de ( Gießener Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  11. ↑ a b c d Stefan Schaal: "New Lahnbrücke is well received". On August 11, 2014 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  12. ↑ a b Franz Maywald: "'We will not let up'". On July 2, 2016 on giessener-anzeiger.de ( Gießener Anzeiger ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  13. ↑ a b c "New Lahnbrücke becomes Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg". On April 17, 2013 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  14. ↑ Alessandra Riva: "New landmark of Gießen: Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg officially opened on May 1st". On May 2, 2014 on giessener-zeitung.de ( Gießener Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  15. ↑ a b "Lahnbrücke should be called Rübsamen-Steg". On May 7, 2013 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  16. ↑ “It's also a little bit his bridge”. On January 19, 2014 on giessener-allgemeine.de ( Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung ). Retrieved October 9, 2019.

Web links

Commons : Christoph-Rübsamen-Steg, Gießen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files