German Unity Transport Project 8

Bahnhofstraße railway bridge

Bahnhofstraße connects Willy Brandt Platz on the north side of the station to Schillerstraße in the south. It goes under the Halle-Guntershausen line and the station's operations facilities. Bahnhofstraße has two lanes, each with a width of 4.25 metres, and two pavements. There are tram lines and bus routes with stops in both directions.

As a result of the construction work to upgrade the station, the number of tracks at the Bahnhofstraße bridge increased from 7 to 10, and thus the bridge had to be widened. The bridge structure has shallow foundations. It consists of two main bridge sections separated by an opening. The eastern side of this opening provides access to the station concourse, and by the abutments on the western side there is a staircase to the platforms.

There were several aspects to be taken into consideration in the redesign of the southern section of Bahnhofstraße. On the one hand, the whole EVAG (local transport company) tram and bus stop area had to be integrated as a transport hub. On the other hand, the road was to be transformed into an attractive shopping area as far as the arcades. An optimum solution was found in terms of both walking distances and local transport.

The construction work was carried out in two stages from 2002 to 2008. The whole area from the inner ring road to the arcades was redesigned. The following construction work was carried out in three stages:
- Construction of two temporary local transport stops compatible with low-floor vehicles
- Renewal of the technical infrastructure (water and sewage) and gas pipes
- Installation of tracks, points and overhead lines for the tram lines
- Implementation of the link at the southern end to the top of the Stadtpark
- Installation of bicycle stands and planting

Demolition of the southern end (Photo: DB AG)

Looking south (Photo: DB AG)

Installation of supports for the station concourse roof (Photo: DB AG)

Installation of the superstructure at the northern end (Photo: DB AG)