Dresden: Heritage in Danger!

Current Situation: Dresden's World Heritage Site Status in Jeopardy, SPIEGEL ONLINE International, March 14, 2007

Preface

Implementation of the planned motorway-like traffic project would cross the Dresden Elbe Valley along its widest dimension and would block the view over the historic Dresden skyline.

No traffic necessity for the “Waldschloesschenbruecke” anymore

There is no “traffic problem” in Dresden. Traffic density in Dresden has been declining for years, last but not least, due to the city’s demographic development, as has been confirmed by official surveys. The average travelling speed of motorised traffic is ahead of big cities across Europe, and the relief on River Elbe crossings already now is higher than that planned by the bridge project .

Today, there is no traffic necessity at the site for a new bridge anymore. In the former years, larger residential areas next to the business parks in the north of the city have been built. For this and other reasons, the inner city traffic in Dresden is declining. Thus, the analysis of Dresden City Council does not state an appreciable traffic movement between the north and the south-east of Dresden, which would require the “Waldschloesschenbruecke”. The minor traffic movements are handled without problems by the existing bridges.

On the other hand: There are fears the traffic facility might become part of a traffic system which travels through the inner city in order to connect the north and south motorways around Dresden. With this system, an additional flow of traffic, including significantly heavy goods-vehicle traffic, would be channelled through the city centre. As such, the aim of relieving the city of traffic congestion fails. Moreover, the project would have negative effects on the structure and the quality of life in the inner and outer areas of the city.

Huge traffic facility is planned inside the World Heritage

The current plans for the traffic facilities, „Waldschloesschenbruecke“, indicate a four-lane fly-over, approximately 770 m long, spanning the Elbe Valley. In the immediate area of the river crossing, there is emphasis on two huge parallel steel arches. The 30 metre-wide road is supported by 2 inclining pylons and at the ascending Elbe hills in the north meets with a 1.2 kilometre-long tunnel system, which was planned to connect the bridge with the road network of the district „Neustadt“ and to enhance accessibility. The tunnels turn into open ramps in the streets of the bordering exclusive residential area, „Preussisches Viertel“ (the Prussian Quarter). Indeed, one of the ramps cuts directly into the meadows on the „Neustadt Elbe hills“. For the „Altstadt“ Elbe bank meadows, motorway-like roundabout entrances are planned.

Environmental Issues
The negative effects of the traffic project on the local ecology, environment and recreational land-use are significant. A study by the Dresden Office for the Environment proves that, compared with other possible bridge sites, the site, „Waldschloesschenbruecke“, has the most negative effects for both people and nature.

The Elbe meadow is a completely unspoiled natural landscape. As a landscape conservation area and as a part of a spacious flora-fauna-habitat (Natura 2000) with a biotope compound, the area would be considerably disturbed by a crossing traffic facility.
Despite all concerns brought forward by Dresden inhabitants and citizens‘ initiatives, the bridge project was approved by the authority in February, 2004.

Financial Issues
At 157 million Euros, the construction costs are the highest charges ever estimated for construction of an urban bridge in Germany. The construction costs would significantly eat into the budgets of the Free State of Saxony as well as the City of Dresden. The costs will affect other areas of public services and will endanger cultural and social projects. Moreover, if subsidised by the state, the costs will also negatively affect the public transport system of Dresden. Additionally, the maintenance of the bridge and its facilities will cost 1 million Euro per year and it is still not clear whether this money will be available, since the traffic system of Dresden is currently suffering from poor maintenance.

The traffic plans clash with the values and aims of urban architecture, landscape, environment and nature conservation as well as the preservation of ancient buildings, the cityscape and cost-efficiency. Even the main argument for the construction of the connection, a reduction of traffic in the inner-city, has been negated by a general recession.

The project contradicts the requirements of a sustainable development of the cultural landscape of Dresden Elbe valley. The necessity of the project is questionable; as there is no doubt that the bridge would damage the cultural image that is Dresden‘s heritage.