Berlin, September 11th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – In October, first preparations for a challenging construction project are supposed to commence. In Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg borough, the giant bridge on Schönhauser Allee, one of Berlin’s most frequented streets, will be replaced. The endeavor will not be completed before 2032.
Residents in the area around the bridge might have to prepare themselves mentally. Commuters won’t like the project either, because absolutely everything will change.
The bridge Berlin intends to replace was built in 1886. Since it will not hold up much longer, the city state does not have a choice. This project is as big as its price tag: According to the Senate Administration of Transport, 50 million Euro (58 million U.S. Dollars or 43 million Pounds Sterling) will be invested.
Step by Step
According to the strategy that was developed, the bridge will be replaced step by step. All means of transport will be affected by the construction: On the bridge itself, the U-Bahn train line U2 races back and forth every few minutes. Down on the street level, pedestrians, cyclists and the M1 tram line share the relatively little space there is. Further down, there is an S-Bahn ring train station.
All of the above, but also the mall next door and countless shops make this project quite complicated, because they all need access for customers and staff. Replacement transport is a subject which has not been resolved completely, only weeks before the preparation work is scheduled to commence. One thing is certain: The ring train will be interrupted at some point.
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According to the Senate, construction workers will be at it, doing their thing, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays. Exception permits might allow them to work on weekends and at night whenever this becomes necessary.
Sort of Brutal
The work the construction contractors are facing is sort of brutal. They need to destroy giant bridge girders that are stuck in the ground. But first, thousands of tons of steel have to be removed, including train tracks and bridge parts. All of it needs to be replaced.
Officially, commuters, residents and businesses will have to “expect some restrictions”. This basically translates into a giant mess people have to put up with. Traffic jams are probably the least of the problems Berliners will be facing in the northeastern part of the city. The Senate also expects “some convulsions” while workers demolish the old bridge. Translation: It will likely feel like a never-ending earthquake.
Well, the truth is: Schönhauser Allee never was the most romantic spot in Berlin. Soon, this will apply even less. But in 2032, when it’s all done, including a new tunnel for S-Bahn train passengers, the city will have the neatest U-Bahn bridge ever constructed by man, one that might last for 140 years, just like the old one.
