An important crystallization point for Erlangen as a business and science location is currently being created in the south of the city: The Siemens Campus continues to grow. In addition, the Free State of Bavaria will expand the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Natural Sciences on the current south campus of the university and on the Siemens Campus. In terms of urban development, the aim is to connect both districts to the transportation system in the most environmentally friendly and sustainable way possible. Of key importance here is
- the suburban railroad from Nuremberg via Erlangen to Herzogenaurach and
- the high-speed cycle path from Nuremberg to Erlangen.
With the support of an external expert, the city administration has investigated how traffic in the south of the city will develop against this backdrop and how it will be distributed across the limited space available. Against this background, the city's Planning and Building Department has now presented the final report on the Erlangen South traffic concept to the Environment, Transport and Planning Committee.
Brucker Lache not affected - valuable trees largely preserved
In 2021, the office ZIV - Zentrum für integrierte Verkehrssysteme GmbH (Darmstadt), in coordination with the city administration, was commissioned to draw up a comprehensive concept on how future traffic between Weinstraße and Südkreuzung
- car traffic
- the Stadt-Umland-Bahn (StUB) and
- the planned high-speed cycle path
can be routed in parallel. One of the requirements was that the sensitive area of the Brucker Lache should not be impaired and that valuable trees should be largely preserved. On the other hand, it should still be possible for car traffic to use the road.
The concept now presented envisages reducing Äußere Nürnberger Straße in the southbound direction (Nuremberg) to one lane on a section between Weinstraße and Preußensteg. Changes to the Südspange and the integration of Kurt-Schumacher-Straße will not only maintain the capacity of the section for motor traffic. Improvements in road safety can even be expected as a result of the removal of the frequently overloaded traffic circle on Weinstraße. Additional traffic lights in the Weinstraße and Südspange areas should ensure smooth and direct traffic flow (visualization: Claus Hirche / ZV StUB).
As the junctions will be built at the same level, there will be no need for complex engineering structures. In the direction of Erlangen, the current federal highway will remain unchanged with two lanes.
Nothing will change in the area of the south junction either:
- it will be crossed by the StUB in future
- all four lanes will be retained.
This will also be the case again from Weinstraße onwards. An underpass is recommended for the high-speed cycle link at the southern intersection. Along Nürnberger Straße, the StUB and the cycle highway will then be bundled together again.
B4 no longer serves long-distance traffic
As part of the study, it was also shown that the B4 federal highway no longer serves long-distance traffic in this area. Even with the planned changes, quality level B can be demonstrated on the axis of the current B4. This clearly meets the requirements of the planned highway detour route.
The traffic concept is part of the application procedure for reclassification that the city has initiated with the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Construction and Transport.
First rough cost estimate
With the concept, the city is meeting key requirements from the regional planning procedure for the StUB completed in 2020. In the procedure, the government of Middle Franconia took into account important aspects of regional planning such as
- Nature and landscape
- water
- traffic
- immission control
- urban development and
- economy
weighed up. During the review, the following stipulations were made
- to close Nürnberger Straße between Gebbert- and Stintzing- resp. Komotauer Straße for motorized individual traffic and
- to consider a route along the B4 that would save space.
An initial rough cost estimate for the reconstruction of the road infrastructure is between 25 and 35 million euros (net). A large proportion of the costs are eligible for funding as part of the planning and construction of the StUB.