Cable Car Project In Bonn Moves On To Next Stage

In May, the Stuttgart-based consulting firm Drees & Sommer SE took over as program manager for the Bonn cable car. This marks the next phase of the innovative transportation project. The planner commissioned by the City of Bonn is currently transferring its expertise and documentation to the consulting firm, which specializes in construction, real estate, and infrastructure.

The cable car in Bonn is planned to run from Venusberg on the left bank of the Rhine across the Rhine to Beuel on the right bank. The project, in whose planning citizens have already been extensively involved, is being jointly managed by the City of Bonn and Bonn's public utilities.

"With the cable car for Bonn, we are planning a pioneering project, as nowhere else in Germany has such integration into local public transport been realized," says Anja Wenmakers, Managing Director of SWB Bus und Bahn and Group Managing Director, assessing the scope of the project. "With the expert team from Drees & Sommer SE, we want to successfully complete the complex process for integrating a cable car into public transport until commissioning."

"Twelve environmental organizations support us and our project. The Bonn cable car is also viewed as a promising pilot project by the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Transport. It's clear to everyone involved that we're breaking new ground in local public transport and serving as a model for other cities. We're paving the way for one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport in Germany," said Mayor Katja Dörner.

"We have already taken the opportunity to inspect the planned cable car route during a joint inspection. This allowed us to identify the specific features and challenges on site and prepare for the next steps," says Sebastian Beck, Partner at Drees & Sommer SE. "We are currently reviewing and evaluating all plans and documents." Sebastian Beck has been committed to establishing urban cable cars in German cities for many years. For example, he contributed his expertise to the official "Urban Cable Cars" guideline of the Federal Ministry of Transport.

"Floating instead of standing still: Urban cable cars take commuters to their destinations without traffic jams, relieve road congestion, and generate climate-friendly green electricity. They are quickly built, open up previously neglected parts of the city, and, on top of that, offer a real highlight for tourists," emphasizes City Planning Commissioner Helmut Wiesner.

Drees & Sommer is responsible for program management, which includes general planning and project management services.

These steps are being worked on

The project participants are currently coordinating with public interest groups and authorities. In parallel, various preliminary reports and planning services are being commissioned and implemented, for example, in relation to nature conservation, subsoil and geology, wind, noise, and hydrology. The schedule and cost framework will also be finalized and adjusted during the current handover process. This also applies to the standardized assessment, which is also being updated. Following this, the focus will be on the so-called functional tender, after which a cable car manufacturer can be commissioned.

In the subsequent planning approval process, which establishes building rights, the interests of residents along the route and public interest groups are examined and weighed. Experience has shown that the duration of the process can vary greatly and cannot be reliably predicted. The construction of the cable car itself will take a comparatively short time, as all components of a cable car are prefabricated in a factory using standard procedures, and only the stations and the foundations for the pillars need to be erected on site. Drees & Sommer will also evaluate the possible date of commissioning.

Drees & Sommer SE

Founded in 1970 and since then known as a sustainability pioneer and driver of digitalization, the international company employs 6,500 people at over 70 locations. Interdisciplinary teams work on more than 6,800 projects worldwide to create a livable future and unite apparent contradictions: tradition and future, economy and ecology, analog and digital, efficiency and well-being. As an entrepreneur within the company, this is a personally responsible partnership. More at www.dreso.com

Data

• 95 cabins reach the stations at intervals of approximately 20 to 24 seconds.
• Each cabin is designed to accommodate 10 passengers. The seats fold up to accommodate wheelchairs, walking aids, strollers, and bicycles.
• The entire journey takes less than 20 minutes.
  1500 to 1800 people can travel per hour in each direction.
• The cabins are designed to prevent direct downward views to protect privacy. This can be ensured through the design, the arrangement of the windows, and also through technical means.

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