Overview
- The four architect‑engineer teams formally presented competing arch‑based designs to the Stadtrat’s Begleitgremium on Tuesday, May 26, beginning the city’s review and participation stage.
- A public exhibition and the online 'CarolaVOTE' start on 13 June so residents can view models and give advisory feedback that will inform but not bind the Stadtrat’s September decision.
- Investigators found brittle, fractured prestressing steel caused the Carolabrücke’s partial collapse in September 2024, and that finding has led to stricter checks and emergency closures on similar mid‑century prestressed‑concrete bridges.
- The Stadtrat set key technical limits that shape all proposals: four car lanes, a separate tram track, a low slim profile to protect Altstadt sightlines, and at most one river pier; the city’s cost framework is about €140 million though some designs estimate substantially less.
- The selection process now moves to municipal technical checks and an external expert review, with a formal council pick on 3 September, a building decision in 2027, construction planned from May 2028, and targeted opening in 2031.