Permanent construction site Altstadtringtunnel: Fewer parking spaces and risk of traffic jams?
The most important questions and answers
Created: 06/16/2022, 08:16
By: Tanja Kipke
Entry and exit to the Munich Altstadtring Tunnel on Prinzregentenstrasse.
© StMB
Fewer parking spaces, new cycle paths and one lane is gone: the changes after the conversion of the old town ring tunnel in Munich are enormous.
Munich – 50 years old, 610 meters long, 60,000 cars a day: the Altstadtring Tunnel in Munich is one of the most important traffic arteries in the state capital.
For four years now, construction workers have been working during the day – and often also at night – on the renovation and repair of the tunnel that connects Lehel with Maxvorstadt underground.
According to the city, drivers will probably have to endure the mega construction site for another two years, with the end not scheduled until 2024.
Last summer, the tunnel was completely closed for a month due to construction work, which led to significant traffic jams.
Here you can find an overview of which closures the city is planning for this year, what renovation work is being carried out on the tunnel and what changes this will entail in road traffic.
We have summarized the most important questions and answers.
Munich's permanent construction site in the old town ring tunnel: what work is being carried out?
60,000 cars cross the old town ring tunnel every day, plus around 35,000 cars that use the ring above ground.
Opened 50 years ago for the 1972 Olympic Games, the "Hell's Mouth" caused a lot of criticism even then.
Now the tunnel has to be adapted to the "current standards", as Minister of Transport Hans Reichhart explained at the start of the construction site.
"Even if construction sites are always a nuisance at first, we need this retrofitting."
The following work is carried out in the tunnel:
A
tunnel center wall
with escape doors was used: In the event of a fire, one direction remains smoke-free.
It serves as an escape route or access route for rescue vehicles.
It also stabilizes the tunnel ceiling.
The
technology
is replaced: new fire alarm system, tunnel lighting, ventilation system, emergency call and fire alarm systems, video system, loudspeaker system.
Repair work
: Walls made of natural stone are renewed, as is the road surface.
The tunnel ceiling may need to be reinforced.
In the old town ring tunnel, the city used a completely new center wall with escape doors in the event of a fire.
© HeidelbergCement AG / Steffen Fuchs
According to the city, there should no longer be a complete closure of the tunnel, as was the case last year.
"In the second half of 2022, part of the work will be carried out during night closures," the building department said on request.
However, this shouldn't really affect traffic.
"The upcoming construction phases, both in the tunnel and on the surface of the old town ring tunnel, are based on traffic routing that has already taken place."
Altstadtring Northwest project costs Munich around 85 million euros
The city of Munich estimated the costs of the project in the building resolution at 84.7 million euros.
However, the construction price index must be taken into account.
Future market developments cannot be estimated, according to the Munich building department.
So there could be more costs.
The Free State of Bavaria is supporting the conversion with a grant of 30 million euros.
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Before the conversion, the tunnel had a clear overall width of around 25 meters at its widest point.
© HeidelbergCement AG / Steffen Fuchs
Conversion of the old town ring tunnel: What is changing for the people of Munich in road traffic
In addition to the safety and repair work within the tunnel, the project also includes numerous conversion measures that affect the traffic situation.
A lot will change for the people of Munich in this area - and not just for drivers.
Loss of a lane in the tunnel: risk of traffic jams inevitable?
The first change that catches your eye in the building decision - and above all makes you suspicious - is the "repartition" of the lanes.
Since the new center wall requires more space, one lane in the tunnel is eliminated in the west/east direction.
For some people, these words will immediately ring the "traffic jam alarm bells".
According to the building department, however, the "performance of the tunnel roadway" was verified by a traffic expert.
According to the investigations, the planned driving lanes are "still sufficient".
It remains to be seen whether it really won't become a "traffic jam".
New left turn lane from Ludwigstrasse
Probably the most important change is a new left-turn lane.
Until now, the tunnel ramp prevented people from turning from Ludwigsstraße onto Oskar-von-Miller-Ring.
Traffic in the direction of Maximilansplatz/Stachus has so far been routed via Odeonsplatz and Brienner Straße.
The city is now creating a turning lane from Ludwigstrasse to Oskar-von-Miller-Ring.
"This axis should be the (sole) main connection in the future," the mobility department said on request.
It is intended to relieve the densely built-up Brienner Straße so that a structural cycle path can be created there.
The department is currently working on a traffic concept.
The so-called "inner" Brienner Strasse could even be closed to private car traffic.
There is no one-way street regulation at the Kunstareal
Another important traffic point is the junction at Gabelsbergerstrasse and Türkenstrasse.
At the intersection, traffic coming from the Altstadtring is to be split up in the future, with one lane each to Gabelsbergerstrasse and one to Türkenstrasse.
In addition, the one-way street regulation in the art area is to be abolished.
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The old town ring tunnel in Munich connects the Lehel with the Maxvorstadt.
© Screenshot Google Maps
In the course of the construction work: City fells trees and paints parking lots
Not only will some things change in road traffic after the conversion, Munich residents will also have to adapt in terms of urban design.
For cyclists these are positive developments, for one or the other car driver it is more of a cause for irritation.
Because: According to the city's decision, a new structural cycle path is being built on the Altstadtring and in Gabelsbergerstraße.
Pedestrians can also be happy: from 2024 they should be able to cross the road above ground at the western tunnel mouth.
What some might not like is the new parking space balance sheet:
A total of 31 parking spaces will be lost in the Oskar-von-Miller-Ring and Gabelsbergerstrasse area.
Six parking spaces will be lost between Fürstenstrasse and Ludwigstrasse, which can be compensated for by seven new parking spaces on the side of the road south of the tunnel ramp in the immediate vicinity.
Five parking spaces are no longer available on Brienner Strasse.
According to the city, the loss can almost be compensated for by six new parking spaces in the immediate vicinity on Ottostrasse.
In the Von-der-Tann-Straße area, a total of seven of the 28 parking spaces currently available will be eliminated.
Not only parking lots have to suffer as part of the construction work, some trees are also affected.
"In total, 30 tree fellings are required in the street area." The fellings were already carried out at the start of construction in 2017. However, numerous new plantings are also planned, according to the decision, a total of 90 trees.
In this way, the construction site area, which has been marked by barriers and signs for years, could still have a green future.
(tkip)
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