"We may have great plans, but we don't have any construction workers"

Panel discussion on the future of Berlin's infrastructure: construction sites, bridges, construction freeze?

Philipp Zettl | Policy Officer

Berlin is at a standstill. Not just perceived, but in many cases actually - in traffic jams, in front of dilapidated bridges, behind barriers. The event "Bridges in need - what next for Berlin's infrastructure?" at the VBKI addressed this problem. In her keynote speech, Ute Bonde, Senator for Mobility and the Environment, painted a realistic but also action-oriented picture: "The pressure to act was not perceived by previous governments - or did not want to be perceived."

Bonde sees Berlin facing a huge task: over 850 bridges are under the responsibility of the Senate Administration, around 120 of which need to be renovated or rebuilt over the next ten years. "We're moving fast," promised Bonde - and pointed to quick successes: the demolition of the Wuhlheide Bridge was approved three days after it was closed, and the new traffic routing was back in operation after one month. The Ringbahn bridge in Westend was also completed in record time. The basis: a coordinated approach by all those involved.

However, in the discussion moderated by Ferdinand Schuster, Chairman of the Intelligent Infrastructure Committee, with Alexander Kaczmarek (Deutsche Bahn), Ronald Normann (Autobahn GmbH) and Bonde himself, it became clear that speed alone is not enough.

Kaczmarek, Bahn Group Representative for Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, emphasized the enormous maintenance backlog: "We have 908 bridges in Berlin. Of the 25,000 railroad bridges nationwide, 11,000 are more than 100 years old and require action."

Ronald Normann, Director of the North-East branch of Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, also drew attention to structural problems: although 61 percent of Berlin's highway bridges are currently in good condition, there is a "need for more intensive inspection" of 50 structures. In contrast to the Deutsche Bahn corridor renovations, however, full closures on the freeways should be avoided wherever possible. As Normann warned: "If we divert traffic from the highways to the neighborhoods, we will have completely different problems." This requires investment - not only financially, but also in terms of personnel. This is because the number of construction companies continues to decrease: "That is a problem for the renovation backlog."

Bonde called for a "joint effort". A new law is intended to shorten the planning and construction time by two to three years by reducing Berlin's regulations to EU level: "We don't always have to have the crown on."

But despite all the ambition, coordination between the players remains a challenge. A permanent platform for coordination? Not at all. Although all panelists praised the functioning communication at working level, as Kaczmarek soberly stated: "Nobody can promise that there will never be any surprises again."

Technological progress offers hope. Normann relies on sensor technology and digital planning. Bonde sees potential in artificial intelligence. However, Kaczmarek warns against the illusion that technology can solve everything: "Building is physically demanding. In wind and weather. We may have great plans, but we don't have any construction workers."

In the end, it was not so much a question of "if", but rather "how". One thing is clear: Berlin needs new approaches to planning, collaboration and construction practice - and it needs them urgently. The solution does not lie in innovation or money alone. It lies in the will to implement - and in the ability to actually build on the construction sites.