So really as successful the experiment can not be called: Already from 2019 to 2020, the almost one-kilometer-long northern section between Untermainbrücke and Alter Brücke was closed to motor traffic for 13 months on a trial basis. For those who were on foot or by bike, the closure was quite positive. But the traffic situation on the other side of the Main was anything but ideal. In addition, the possibilities of a closed Main Quay were also only exploited to a very limited extent, although this may also have been due in part to the Corona pandemic. Despite much criticism of the traffic experiment, the Mainkai closure is now going into the second round
"Now the Mainkai is being repurposed again to gain further experience and to show users attractive, alternative options," says Stefan Majer, head of department for mobility and health. "The summer months are particularly suitable for events. In the sense, we are pleased to offer with the 'Summer on the Main' actions and leisure activities on the road surface."
"The aim is also to use the summer months with holiday- and vacation-related reduction in traffic to gain further experience on the traffic impact, as well as with a bypass concept small-scale shifts to the surrounding roads as well as to the southern bank of the Main and Sachsenhausen-Nord, to avoid as far as possible," adds Majer.
The temporary repurposing of the Mainkai will take place from Monday, July 11, to Monday, September 5. During this period, other events will take place on the Mainkai - such as the Mainfest, the Museumsuferfest and actions of the Eurobike trade fair. During the temporary change of use, access to the Mainkai is only possible by bike and for passenger or goods vehicles with special permission. Access for emergency vehicles is of course guaranteed at all times.
A bypass concept has been drawn up for motor traffic, which differentiates between traffic types and offers wide-ranging bypasses. These are signposted in the road space and accompanied by detour notices on the traffic information boards as well as the municipal traffic information website mainziel.de. In addition to comprehensive signage, it is planned to announce the bypass routes via the municipal traffic information website mainziel.de as well as to make them available to navigation service providers via the mobility data marketplace.
The bypass concept builds on the findings of the one-year test phase in 2019/20, which showed, among other things, that the Mainkai is predominantly used by domestic traffic with source and destination in the city of Frankfurt and that traffic only diverted immediately before the closure. At that time, the travel time increases, which particularly affected general traffic during peak hours, were also examined.
It is therefore planned to divert general traffic north of the city center and route truck traffic south of the Main River and the rail line. For this purpose, the bypass route for general traffic coming from the east will be designated at two points onto the Alleenring and the Anlagenring northbound, respectively. Vehicle drivers coming from the west will also be pointed to the north/east bypass at several points in the network.
Trucks will be routed via Mörfelder Landstrasse and cross the Main River in the west via Friedensbrücke and in the east of the city via Honsellbrücke and Osthafenbrücke. This routing is aimed in particular at traffic between Westhafen and Osthafen.
It will be interesting to see whether the closure of the Mainkai in the second attempt will provide less traffic chaos and will be received more positively overall. At the latest after the summer vacations we know more!
