Overview

• The Bundesrechnungshof's special audit highlights that only 40% of planned Autobahn bridge segments were modernized by the end of 2024, with just 69 of 280 segments completed last year.
• The audit accuses the federal transport ministry of inflating progress by including non-program structures and omitting 20% of urgent bridges from its reporting.
• The ministry's projected budget for 2026 modernization efforts falls €700 million short of the Bundesrechnungshof's €2.1 billion estimate, raising concerns over funding adequacy.
• The report warns that without reallocating resources and prioritizing modernization over new construction, further bridge closures and infrastructure degradation are inevitable.
• Bridges on state-managed Bundesstraßen remain excluded from federal modernization plans, compounding nationwide infrastructure challenges.