The closure of the important bridge over the Rhein River in Bonn, Germany (Bonner Rheinbrücke) is the metaphor of the collapsing German economy. The closure has “enormous consequences” for regional traffic, reported the ADAC, Europe’s largest automobile association. The closure concerns not just the bridge but sections of the A565 highway, and forces 120,000 vehicles a day to undergo a long detour in order to cross the Rhein to the north in Köln or south in Ramersdorf, where traffic is already jammed.
The bridge was declared dangerous ten years ago, when it was decided to build a new one. However, the construction was delayed and has not yet started. Attempts were made to repair the bridge and ban heavy trucks, but these did not help. The reasons for the debacle probably have to do with the disinvestment in infrastructure over the years in Germany, in order to keep the “black zero” balanced budget.
