Vaterstetten – Sabine Wiedemann from Autobahn GmbH provided a comprehensive and detailed description of the necessary measures for the reconstruction of the B304 bridge over the A99 motorway between Vaterstetten and Haar. According to Wiedemann, who was a guest at the Grasbrunn environmental committee, there is no alternative to the interim bridge on the southern side of the motorway. They will clear as little protected forest (Bannwald) as possible, replant the trees, and build a pedestrian and cycle path. Residents are to be protected by a visual barrier fence and a speed limit.
Bridge from 1973
Wiedemann summarized the known details: The bridge dates from 1973, is 94.8 meters long and 31 meters wide. It carries 38,000 cars per day, while the A99 motorway underneath carries 96,000 vehicles daily, which Wiedemann described as “heavily frequented.”
“During an inspection in May, severe damage to the bridge was identified: chloride contamination, corrosion, spalling, cracking, and voids. On a scale of 1 to 4, the bridge was rated 3.5, where 4 is the worst value.” Although there is currently no danger to traffic, urgent action is required to prevent an uncontrollable increase in damage and the closure of the bridge.
Intervention Unavoidable
The bridge must therefore be demolished and rebuilt, for which a temporary steel bridge will be constructed south of the current bridge. Wiedemann emphasized that the option north of the bridge had also been examined, but many arguments spoke against it: all motorway interchange ramps would have to be closed, cycle traffic would be routed through the construction site, there would be conflicts with construction machinery and site operations, and the noise level for residents would be higher than with the southern option. Therefore, according to Wiedemann, there is no alternative to the southern bridge.
The entire intervention is unavoidable but will be limited to the absolute necessary minimum. Although 1,903 square meters of protected forest will need to be used temporarily, this does not represent a permanent loss of forest area; the area will be reforested in the same location. The forest soil will be stored carefully during construction and then reused.
Cycle Path Alternative towards Vaterstetten
Clearance work begins in October, with work on the temporary diversion starting in December. The underpass will be closed from January 2026, and the pedestrian/cycle path will be closed for six weeks between March and May. The alternative route will then go through Haar via Waldstraße to the railway tracks, along the cycle path next to the tracks to Vaterstetten S-Bahn station, and back to the Wasserburger Landstraße via Bahnhofstraße and the Technopark. Wiedemann promised residents that the speed limit on the temporary bridge and the two-meter-high visual barrier fence would even lead to a reduction in noise. The completion of the entire construction project, including the necessary reforestation, is scheduled for the end of 2028 at the latest.
Repair Technically Possible but Not Advisable
The local council members on the construction, environment, and transport committee had several questions following Wiedemann’s presentation. “Does it have to be a new build? Wouldn’t a repair of the bridge also be possible?” asked Wolfgang Kainz-Huber (FW). Wiedemann said this was technically possible but they could not then guarantee that new damage would not appear quickly. Julia Blanck (SPD) asked what the temporary bridge would cost during the construction of the new bridge. According to Wiedemann, total costs are estimated at around €30 million, with one third of that for the interim bridge.
Information for Vaterstetten
Meanwhile, the municipality of Vaterstetten has also been informed by Autobahn GmbH about the demolition and reconstruction of the B304 bridge over the A99 near Grasbrunn. A temporary bridge is intended to handle traffic during the construction work, which is estimated to take three years. In Vaterstetten, the plans are now to be presented publicly to citizens. This will take place before the citizens’ meeting on October 13th at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium of the primary school on Wendelsteinstraße. Perhaps there will also be information then regarding the municipality’s demand to upgrade the cycle path from Vaterstetten station to Haar. However, the land in question belongs to Deutsche Bahn.
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