Cost-benefit analysis of the Rhine bridge (2022)
A new Rhine bridge between Huningue and Basel is important for the further development of the project area. With the tramway line running over it, it enables the emergence of a trinational quarter by connecting countries and bringing people together. As a sustainable transport connection, it creates a high quality of life. The positive result of the cost-benefit analysis is an important step on the way to its successful implementation.
The advantages of the bridge and the new streetcar line were confirmed by the cost-benefit analysis completed in spring 2022: As a new transport axis between Switzerland and France, it will enable Saint-Louis, Huningue, Weil am Rhein and Kleinbasel to be connected quickly. The tramway connections in the 3Land will be shorter overall and changes will be necessary less frequently. In addition, the bridge could reduce the volume of road traffic.
The evaluation of further urban planning, traffic and ecological aspects shows that it is precisely with the new Rhine bridge that the expectations associated with urban development in the 3Land can best be fulfilled. It is necessary to further improve the public transport network, to integrate the future bridgeheads and the tramway line into the cityscape, and to create attractive and ecologically high-quality open spaces and green areas to form a harmonious whole.
The construction of the Rhine bridge is planned between the Hochberger-/Westquaistrasse axis north of the mouth of the Wiese on the Basel side and Huningue south of Rue Moser.
The positive result of the cost-benefit analysis of the Rhine bridge and the streetcar line represents another milestone in the 3Land project on the way to realizing a cross-border district. The project partners therefore decided at a joint meeting in March 2022 to pursue the ambitious Rhine Bridge project. Until the bridge is built, there are still some intermediate stages to be reached, which will be tackled in trinational cooperation.
The cost-benefit analysis of the Rhine Bridge was carried out by INFRAS, Güller Güller and SERUE. It compares the economically measurable benefits of the bridge (e.g. time savings, income from ticket sales) and further criteria of urban development, traffic and environment with the costs incurred by the construction, operation and maintenance of the bridge.
