How can Weßling's main street be redesigned? This topic has been bothering the community for a long time. This week, citizens were able to find out about the status of the planning at an information event. Around 100 people from Weßlinger flocked to the new elementary school.
Weßling
– “I thought only 20 people would come,” said Mayor Michael Sturm after the information event about the redesign of Weßlingen Hauptstraße in the new elementary school. Instead, around 100 people streamed into the auditorium, listened to the presentations by the Dragomir and Uniola GmbH offices and made suggestions on cards. “I am very satisfied and we will also take up the suggestions,” said Sturm.
It was a promise in connection with the construction of the Weßlingen bypass: The main street should be rebuilt in such a way that there is a better quality of life for pedestrians; other keywords include climate friendliness, traffic calming and accessibility. The planners left no doubt that the main street remains and must remain a thoroughfare. It is still very busy. “It is possible that the construction project will also create new habits and that even more people will use the bypass,” said Leila Hoffmann, project manager at Uniola GmbH, who informed us about the status of the planning with managing director Franz Damm. The event was moderated by Martin Birgel and Constanze Bock from the Dragomir planning office.
In the first step, an approximately 200 meter long section between the intersection of Hauptstrasse/Bahnhofstrasse and An der Grundbreite is affected. The package of measures is large and could serve as a blueprint for other parts of the road: different surfaces are intended to increase the attention of drivers. In intersection areas, the roadway should be raised to pedestrian level to ensure accessibility. The footpaths will be widened and the streets will become correspondingly narrower. There are places provided in several places that are equipped with seating elements, bicycle racks and lanterns. The squares should have a high quality of stay; the desire is to enliven these areas of the main street.
Street trees and tree groves are planned along the road, which will be slightly swiveled in three places, and in the squares. According to the sponge city principle, the rainwater should be collected by coarse stone fill under the trees. They serve as storage and heavy rain is also drained away. Drought-tolerant perennial plantings are also planned.
One topic among the listeners was the parking spaces in front of the café in the center of town. Others doubted whether the traffic could be calmed down to such an extent that the quality of stay on the main street would actually improve. Work on the redesign is scheduled to begin in 2025/2026 and will take about a year, according to the planners. So far there is only a rough cost plan in the low millions, but the project is eligible for funding. During the construction period, the main street should be accessible in one lane, with the diversion taking place via Bahnhofstrasse and Schulstrasse.
The people of Weßlinger had to wait a long time for the redesign to finally begin. “Many people felt the relief,” said Leila Hoffmann.