Exploratory drilling at Wittelsbacher Bridge brings traffic restrictions until November

Munich's Building Department (Baureferat) is carrying out exploratory drilling in the green spaces around the Wittelsbacher Bridge (Wittelsbacherbrücke) from 14 September until an expected end date of 8 November. The work restricts traffic on the bridge itself, on neighbouring streets, on paths in the green spaces around both ends of the bridge and on the flood meadow beneath it. The drilling will inform planning for repairs to the bridge, which are expected to begin at the end of 2029.

Throughout the work, 25 metres of parking spaces on Schyrenstraße near the bridge will be unavailable because the area is needed for site facilities. Other restrictions will depend on which drilling areas are being worked on. Drilling on Wittelsbacherstraße is planned for around 28 September to 5 October, during which the footpath and cycle path will be merged at the Isar balconies on the city-centre side. Work will then continue across the bridge, using a mobile crane on the central island in the Isar, while drilling takes place at the same time in the green spaces around Schyrenplatz on the opposite side of the bridge.

From around 5 to 9 October inclusive, the bus lane on the north side of the bridge and the adjoining cycle path and footpath will be closed. Pedestrians can still cross on the other side of the bridge, and those coming from Humboldtstraße are advised to switch to the upstream side at the Claude-Lorrain-Straße junction. Cyclists heading towards the city centre will first use a separate lane before being directed onto the road, where they will share the lane with motor traffic until the end of the bridge.

From 9 October, work is scheduled to move to the Isar flood meadows below the bridge. In the green spaces and on the flood meadows, each work site will be marked and secured individually, one after another, and some affected paths may be closed while work is under way.

The Building Department has thanked road users for their understanding and asked people to show consideration for one another during the temporary diversions, particularly in the busy areas around the bridge and especially towards more vulnerable road users.

Exploratory drilling is used to investigate the ground in a construction area and gather information about its geology. Samples of soil and rock are taken to examine properties such as their condition, composition and ability to conduct water, helping to identify risks and make planning safer and more efficient. Further details are set out in the city council's resolution on its coordinated bridge maintenance programme of 5 December 2023.