Overview
- A former Straßen.NRW engineer told the Rahmede-Talbrücke inquiry that authorities lack a clear picture of heavy transports over already damaged bridges, with long-term permits and unauthorized crossings obscuring accountability.
- In a heated Landtag debate, SPD, FDP and AfD accused the state government of losing control, pointing to unclear responsibilities and too few specialist police checks.
- Interior Minister Herbert Reul rejected claims of systemic failure, saying round-the-clock monitoring is unrealistic and the scale of illegal trips lies in a statistical dark figure.
- The governing CDU–Greens coalition cited 2024 enforcement data, noting nearly 48,000 truck checks and more than 35,000 violations, arguing police oversight is extensive and targeted.
- FDP lawmakers highlighted roughly 2,500 extremely damaged bridges in NRW, while opposition members pressed for weigh-in systems and binding digital monitoring to prevent unauthorized or overweight trips.