Polling - A "great building", a filigree masterpiece ", an" object of identification for the Oberland "as well as an" artistic and townscape-defining building ": These were true hymns of praise that were given in the speeches at the official inauguration of the new footbridge and cycle path bridge near Oderding could be heard.
The parish of Polling had invited to the ecumenical blessing with Monsignor Herbert Kellermann and Pastor Sabine Nagel. Local councilors, planners, construction companies and political celebrities such as CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt were present. The Pollinger or Oderdinger fought for the bridge for a long time. The first official application for the construction of a safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists had already been submitted by two Oderdingen citizens in 2010. But as Mayor Martin Pape emphasized in his keynote address, it was only a change in personnel at the top of the State Building Authority that brought about the decisive breakthrough - and made the location right next to the state road bridge possible.
The times in which walkers, cyclists, schoolchildren or the footballers of SV Polling had to use the narrow and dangerous hard shoulder on the state road bridge next to the carriageway to cross the Ammer on their way to the Oderdinger sports ground are finally over.
But the wood and steel construction made by the Uffinger carpentry will not only have a functional meaning, it is also a visual highlight that blends in perfectly with the surroundings: "People use this bridge to watch the bunting and enjoy nature" , stated Pape: "It serves to protect against sun and rain or just to admire this beautiful building."
Focus on cycling
As District Administrator Andrea Jochner-Weiß emphasized in her welcoming address, bridging the gap is not only a "great event" for the municipality of Polling, but also for the entire district. Now you can "ride your bike in a train from Peißenberg to Weilheim". The new footbridge is a "bridge to a new era" with a mobility transition and a stronger focus on cycling.
In terms of planning, building the bridge was anything but easy. The engineers faced challenges with the span of 46 meters and the maintenance of a freeboard in the event of a flood of the Ammer. In the original designs, the supporting structure was under the bridge. But that would have meant that the bridge would have become extremely high. “Then I remembered the old wooden bridges in Switzerland and Austria”, said half-timbered planner Franz Ostler (OK Ingenieure; Lenggries): “You drive or walk through the bridge construction as a passer-by.” The State Building Authority also shared the idea Immediately taken with the building material "wood" - although, because of the maintenance costs, other materials are actually used for government contracts. "You asked if we were allowed to - and we were allowed to",Ostler reported on the approval processes: "I said, 'we'll build a roof over it and house it, then we'll have wood protection and the bridge will lift for a few hundred years'."
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