Opening of the pedestrian tunnel on Dresdner Strasse
Press invitation: Friday, 21 August, 11 a.m., tunnel entrance Dresdner Straße
On Friday 21 August at 11 a.m., Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig will open the new pedestrian tunnel connecting the Sonnenberg district with Chemnitz Central Station after a 15-month construction period. The public opening will take place at the tunnel entrance on Dresdner Straße. The pedestrian link is a joint construction project by the City of Chemnitz and Deutsche Bahn AG, represented by DB Station und Service AG.
Representatives of the media are cordially invited to Dresdner Straße at Gießerstraße.
Until now, the city centre and Sonnenberg districts were separated from each other by the railway tracks. Pedestrians had to take a diversion of over a kilometre via the busy Dresdner Platz or walk through the "Bazillenröhre", which is still not a direct route to public transport. Even with the frequently used bus routes 21 and 31, the main railway station can only be reached by changing buses or taking an additional long walk. The districts of Hilbersdorf, Ebersdorf and Sonnenberg therefore previously had no direct access to Chemnitz main station.
This is now changing thanks to the "Access East" at the level of Gießerstraße, which ensures a barrier-free connection to the main station throughout. It also gives pedestrians better access to Brühl, Theaterplatz, the bus station and Chemnitz University of Technology's city centre campus on Straße der Nationen.
The pedestrian tunnel is an extension of the existing Deutsche Bahn AG escape tunnel from the main railway station. New features include a staircase and a lift as well as a canopy in the access area on Dresdner Straße and bicycle parking spaces. A new traffic light ensures pedestrian safety on Dresdner Straße. It is planned that bus routes 21 and 31 will run on an adapted route and stop at a bus stop at the pedestrian tunnel in future. Passenger information systems in the access area will inform travellers of the connections to the main station, VMS and CVAG.
The total cost of the pedestrian tunnel is around four million euros, half of which was covered by subsidies. This is a measure subsidised under the Saxon Investment Strengthening Act. The tunnel extension to Dresdner Straße is part of the services provided by the City of Chemnitz on the basis of a licence agreement with DB Netz AG.