Overview

• Transport & Environment (T&E) estimates that 16,000 federally managed bridges in Germany are structurally compromised, requiring up to 100 billion euros for repairs or replacement.
• Delays in maintenance are accelerating deterioration, leading to higher future costs and critical infrastructure failures like Berlin's Ringbahn bridge and Dresden's Carolabrücke.
• Many bridges, built in the 1970s, were designed for lower traffic loads and are now overwhelmed by modern demands, particularly in urban areas like Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen.
• T&E criticizes the 2022 bridge modernization program for its limited scope, which overlooks significant portions of the autobahn network and fails to meet urgent repair needs.
• The organization urges the federal government to prioritize maintenance over new construction and increase funding for municipal infrastructure improvements.