Berlin's New Avenue Spanning Over the River Spree
News Article: Rapid Rebuild of Berlin's Ring Bridge Begins
Motorists in western Berlin have faced significant detours since the closure of the Ring Bridge in March of this year, following a crack in the supporting structure. However, the rebuilding process is now underway, with the new Ring Bridge expected to be equipped with noise protection walls and noise-reducing asphalt, and construction set to begin in the second half of October.
The federal government is bearing the costs of around 80 million euros for the new construction of the Ring Bridge, which was commissioned to the Austrian joint venture Habau/MCE following a Europe-wide tendering procedure. The old Ring Bridge was part of the autobahn interchange Funkturm, one of the most heavily loaded traffic nodes in the country.
To expedite the rebuilding of the bridge, the construction has been separated from the planning approval procedure. The planning for the rapid reconstruction of the Ringbrücke at the Autobahnkreuz Funkturm in Berlin was taken over by DEGES, which carried out the necessary planning adjustments in March and April 2025 before the approval procedure stage was reached.
The total construction time for the Ring Bridge is estimated to be less than two years, with the northbound lane of the A100 between Messedamm and Spandauer Damm expected to be driveable again by summer 2027. The new construction of the Westend Bridge, located a little further north, will take place largely parallel to the Ring Bridge.
The demolition of the crossing over the S-Bahn tracks of the old Ring Bridge and the Westend Bridge shortly after their closure is a testament to the urgency of the rebuilding process. The construction work for both bridges is expected to impose further restrictions, particularly for S-Bahn commuters. A coordinated traffic and closure concept is currently being developed to minimise disruption.
Berlin's governing mayor, Kai Wegner (CDU), stated that this approach could serve as a model for making infrastructure future-proof across Germany. The renovation of the traffic node has been planned for years, and the planning approval process is currently in progress. The new Ring Bridge and Westend Bridge are significant steps towards modernising Berlin's infrastructure and improving the city's transportation network.
