The ascent to the Schiersteiner Radsteg from Mainz. | © K. Deißner, ADFC
Cycle path under the Schiersteiner bridge open!
On September 12, the new footpath and cycle path has finally been opened to the bridging between the two provincial capitals. Since autumn 2024, the cycling community has been eagerly waiting for the opening – now for the apparent ‘never ending story’: end well, all well.
A national "bicycle highlight": the new, suspended cycle path under the motorway bridge between Wiesbaden-Schierstein and Mainz-Mombach.
Cycling at lofty heights
The new cycle and footpath is a very special bicycle highlight: suspended from the bridge construction of the Schierstein motorway bridge, the bridge ‘floats’ high above the river and allows crossing the Rhine and reaching the Rettbergsaue from Wiesbaden and Mainz – far away from the noise and exhaust gases of motorway traffic.
Tendons after the towing plate
In late autumn 2024, the opening of the new footpath and cycle path had been postponed to spring 2025. A ‘trail plate’ should be added to ensure safe departure to Mainz. Since then, the construction progress had raised many questions – the ascent and descent in Mainz had meanwhile been blocked by a massive concrete wall … The bicycle community was eagerly waiting for the opening for months.
History of …
- After ten years of construction, the Schierstein Bridge was ‘finally completed’ on 14 August 2023. Six lanes plus parking strips are available for car traffic. After all, there are also combined footpaths and cycle paths on both sides of the bridge, but they are too narrow for encounter traffic with strollers or cargo bikes.
- In autumn 2024, the cycle path and footpath suspended upstream under the bridge should finally be opened. However, the release of the ascent and descent on the Mainz side was initially postponed due to safety concerns.
- The safety deficiency should be rectified by means of a specially designed component, a 300 kg ‘trail plate’. However, this sheet metal was waiting for …
- At the end of April, the bridge was opened on the Wiesbaden side for the crossing to the Rettbergsaue. A first milestone that gave hope!
- The bridge seemed finished and easily passable. For this purpose, the passage to Mainz on the middle of the bridge was not effectively closed off. So people used the suspended bridge again and again for the crossing. This despite indications of the driving ban.
The martial concrete barrier, meanwhile ironically called the "Mainzer Mauer", is now history.
On World Bicycle Day, cyclists from Wiesbaden and Mainz demonstrated together for the speedy opening of the passage.
- In order to prevent the passage in Mainz, Autobahn GmbH quickly placed huge concrete blocks at the exit in Mombach.
- On 3 June, on the occasion of World Bicycle Day, cyclists from Mainz and Wiesbaden demonstrated together at the barrier, which had just been knocked over by unknown persons.
- Autobahn GmbH announced via the press that, due to the damage now caused by the overturning, it would take even longer before traffic clearance could be granted for the bridge. The bridge between Rettbergsau and Mombach was closed.
- Many cyclists – consciously or because of the insufficient barrier from Wiesbaden – ‘despite’ the newly built concrete wall by lifting their wheels over the lateral railing of the descent. Again and again even a railing part was unscrewed to come down with the wheel from the bridge.
- The displeasure over the continued lack of completion grew on both sides of the Rhine. The press and the public were increasingly surprised by the lack of progress and the fact that the towing plate was still not delivered and installed.
- But before the end of the summer, something happened – the construction work started!
The towbar is here!
On September 11th, the time had finally come: The new towing plate could be successfully installed! It bridges the right-angled descent without any major difference in height and ensures the ‘mobility’ of the cover as part of the extension of the bridge construction.
Here's the thing! The new ‘trail plate’ that the cycling world has been so eagerly waiting for!
The crossing over the newly installed towing plate – and over the entire beautiful bridge between Mainz and Wiesbaden – was joyfully rehearsed on 12 September!
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