Floods Zurich municipal council approves new construction of the Rathausbrücke bridge
To protect against flooding, the Rathausbrücke bridge in Zurich is to be demolished and replaced by a new structure with fewer pillars: On Wednesday evening, the municipal council approved a loan of 58.3 million francs by 101 votes to 11.
10.07.2024, 23:51
SDA
The SVP was the only party to speak out against the project. The costs were too high, criticized Derek Richter. He called for the costs to be reduced to CHF 36 million by dispensing with the Zurich finish and a platinum standard design.
However, the other parliamentary groups approved the city council's unchanged proposal. Some, such as the left-wing Alternative List, were less enthusiastic, as, among other things, no greenery or shade would be provided on the bridge, as Michael Schmid pointed out.
The Rathausbrücke bridge over the Limmat is a bottleneck during floods. The riverbed is not deep enough. In addition, the structure, which was built in the early 1970s, has five piers that increase the risk of flooding.
The bridge, which is now getting on in years and would have to be extensively renovated, is now to be demolished and replaced. A new, slightly narrower bridge with only two piers is planned. The river bed will be lowered in the course of the work for flood protection reasons.
Provided that voters in Zurich approve the loan at the ballot box, construction is scheduled to begin in 2025. The new Rathausbrücke, also known colloquially as the Gemüsebrücke, is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2028.
