The closure of the dilapidated Rahmede motorway bridge on the A45 near Lüdenscheid hit the region with full force. One who lives right under the valley bridge is particularly affected: he and his family are to be moved.
Lüdenscheid – Ersan Acar has been living under the Rahmede motorway bridge in Lüdenscheid since 2010. The unattractive building around 80 meters above him and the noise coming down to his house from the busy A45, an important north-south traffic axis, never bothered him, he says.
Now the federal Autobahn GmbH has knocked on the door of him and his family. “They want to buy the house from me and tear everything down,” Acar told the German Press Agency. Since Monday he has known that he, his wife, children and parents do not have much time left to make a decision. “They told me that the bridge should be blown up in six months.”
A lot of money invested in the house
Acar owns a good 700 square meter property that Autobahn GmbH also wants to acquire. “They showed me a plan. My house and a company next to it are particularly badly affected. ”In 2018 he asked Strassen.NRW what would happen to the viaduct. “The bridge didn’t break overnight.” When he was assured that nothing was planned for construction in the near future, he invested a lot of money in his house: a new roof, the entire property was fenced off because of the children. In order to let the in-laws move in, everything had just been prepared for an attic conversion, as he explains.
The Rahmede motorway bridge on the Sauerland line has gained some notoriety since it was completely closed at the beginning of December. The route from Dortmund to Hesse and Bavaria, which is important throughout Germany, has been interrupted for weeks. The region suffers from detour traffic, traffic jams, noise, exhaust fumes, delayed deliveries, worries about health and safety and fears dire consequences for the important economic location of South Westphalia.
The construction of the bridge should come soon
The federal government and NRW want speed. Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing announced on Monday that the building should be blown up. “In this way we can save a considerable amount of time and advance the processes for a new construction of the bridge more quickly,” said the FDP politician to the dpa. The ministry wants to share details with Autobahn GmbH on Thursday.
According to Ersan Acar, Autobahn GmbH now wants to sit down with him again and hire an appraiser to assess the value of his property in order to set a purchase price. He fears that the result will not be what is appropriate and necessary to be able to put down roots with his family in Lüdenscheid without deterioration. “The bridge needs to be rebuilt. That’s clear and I don’t want to get in the way. I don’t care about the money either. But I had so many dreams and goals.”
A spokesman for the Westphalia branch of Autobahn GmbH emphasizes: “It is not said that he has to vacate his house.” Acar was given all the options from “temporary use” of his property to the purchase of his house and property – and will again talk to him. All residents and tradespeople in the immediate area of the bridge are approached. However, according to Autobahn GmbH’s previous goal, the construction period will last at least five years. It is understandable if the family does not want to live on a large construction site for so long, says spokesman Bernd Löchter.
Is there a spare house?
Ersan Acar, on the other hand, emphasizes that so far only talks about acquisition have been made to him, but no alternatives have been mentioned. The father says that he is not willing to sacrifice the hard-earned standard of living and living of his three-generation family. “If we are provided with an equivalent three-family house with a garden in Lüdenscheid, I’ll be there.” But that will probably be extremely difficult. Other media such as the “Westfalenpost” had previously reported on the case.
The branch manager of Autobahn GmbH for Westphalia reported a week ago that land acquisition negotiations were already being held with the residents. These discussions about purchase or temporary use have so far gone “very well”. At the same time, Elfriede Sauerwein-Braksiek referred to peregrine falcons and bats living under the bridge, for which alternative roosts will be created.
Ersan Acar hopes that he and his family will be given at least as much importance as these species. “I expect empathy. And that it is taken into account how badly we were hit.” dpa
