Station 5: New bridges for new connections
Bridges connect. Not only are they a symbol of cross-border friendship, they are the core component for the optimal interconnection of the population of the 3Land area. This means there are plans to build new bridges.
The bridge is an instrument of continuity
At this point in time, there are three Rhine bridges in the 3Land area: The Palmrain bridge (“Palmrainbrücke”) and the Dreirosen bridge (“Dreirosenbrücke”) mark the northern and southern boundaries of the area. The Dreiländer bridge (“Dreiländerbrücke”) for pedestrians and cyclists connects Weil am Rhein and Huningue. This means that public transport can only cross the Rhine via the two outer bridges.
Esther Keller – Councilor, Canton of Basel-Stadt – on mobility and new connections in the 3Land area
Wolfgang Dietz – Mayor of Weil am Rhein – on the meaning of bridges
Jean-Marc Deichtmann – Mayor of Huningue – on bridges as a symbol of peace
Building bridges: a must-have for 3Land
Both the 2011 Development Vision and the Spatial Concept developed in 2015 stated that more bridges are required to develop the 3Land and enable the three districts to grow closer to one another. They are the only fast and simple means of erasing borders.
The Spatial Concept proposes three new bridges:
- A bridge for public transport as well as pedestrian and bicycle traffic is planned over the mouth delta of the Wiese, between Basel and Huningue.
- The cycle track along the Rhine will be extended between the trinational border at Basel and Weil am Rhein and supplemented with a cycle and pedestrian bridge.
- A cycle and pedestrian bridge may also be built between the Kleinbasel and Grossbasel banks at the level of the Novartis campus.
The Dreiländer bridge (“Dreiländerbrücke”) has already taught the cities of Weil am Rhein and Huningue that the impact of a bridge can be very positive: each year, one million people cross the ‘Passerelle’ and enjoy cross-border experiences that were not possible in previous times.
The 2018 traffic study shows that a new bridge over the Rhine between Huningue and Basel is central to the further development of the 3Land area. The bridge for public transport and pedestrian and bicycle traffic would grant optimal access to the development areas and the new public spaces.
Several bridges to come
These new bridges will knit the cities closer together. The bridges, bridgeheads and transfer stations are major new venues which will increase traffic and contact between the adjacent neighborhoods. Shortcuts and the interconnection of these neighborhoods with the major transport hubs in all three countries are crucial to an attractive public transport offer.