Mittlere Brücke and Greifengasse soon open for public transport again
Following eight weeks of road works, trams and buses will from Monday be able to travel across the Mittlere Rheinbrücke and through Greifengasse. Cyclists can also cross the bridge without disruption again.
The total closure the Mittlere Brücke and Greifengasse, during which tram tracks, underground cables, and pavements were renewed, is coming to an end. The tram stop at Rheingasse now features two new shelters and a raised pavement to make it easier to board buses and trams. The pavement was also lowered in the rest of Greifengasse to make it easier for pedestrians to cross the road.
The construction works were demanding: workers were busy from early in the morning until late in the evening. Temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius made it hard to seal the finished roads. Using concrete on hot days was also not possible, and the corresponding work had to be done in the evenings once it had cooled down. Everything went according to plan and there were no accidents.
The shared cyclist and pedestrian routes across Mittlere Brücke were regarded as a generally good solution. There were no incidents or accidents. The new bridge pavement was finished on time for the Swiss National Day festivities on 31 July. Since then, cyclists have had their own lane across the bridge again, and pedestrians no longer have to watch out for them.
A communal action of the IG Kleinbasel, Pro Innerstadt Basel, and the Verband Basler Wasservereine called “Gryffe offe” allowed visitors to cross the Rhine on ferries at no cost. Both the Klingentalfähre “Vogel Gryff” (every Wednesday) as well as the boats from the Wasservereine (every Saturday) were well-used and received positive feedback. Today, there is a last opportunity to use this service for free and board a boat from Schifflände to the Kleinbasel side of the Mittlere Brücke. On some Saturdays, ice cream and balloons were also handed out around Greifengasse.
The pavement on the Mittlere Brücke will be sealed and given a new surface. By October at the latest, both sides will be fully accessible again. The civil engineering office is to install silica sand stone slabs at Greifengasse on the Utengasse pavement side. The other side of the pavement will be renewed in April next year. The work is expected to last until the summer. Out of respect for local residents, these road works will generally take place only during the day. All buildings and shops in Greifengasse are to remain fully accessible.
Roebuck knocks out fellow deer in Lörrach-Haagen
Victory by technical knockout – this is a phrase normally heard in sport. But as it turned out last Friday night in Lörrach-Haagen near Basel, it also exists in the animal world.
Local residents in Ritterstrasse called the police at 0.25am to report that two roebuck deer were fighting in front of their house. When the police arrived at the “arena”, the fight was over. One of the roebucks – a massive animal – was lying dizzily and clearly knocked out on the street, unable to get to its feet again. The police officers’ verdict: a technical knockout and an end to the fight. The loser did not receive any help by boxing assistants but instead by a game tenant.
The winner of the fight was not longer in the ring but was instead clearly enjoying the admiration of his female companions. The loser had taken quite a beating and could be transported to a car without any trouble. After the dizzy deer had more or less recovered, it was returned to the forest and set free. His movements were still a bit shaky, which will hopefully improve over the next few days.
Five arrested following cocaine seizure
Five Nigerian men have been arrested on drugs charges after they were caught with around a million francs worth of cocaine.
Their arrests followed in-depth investigations by the public prosecution and the police of Baselland. As a result of these investigations, the men, aged between 19 and 40, were arrested on 23 and 30 July.
Large amount of cocaine secured
Around three kilogrammes of pure cocaine were secured during each of the two arrests – six kilograms in total. The drugs have an estimated street value of about one million Swiss francs.
The men are in being held in custody and are facing charges for qualified violations of the narcotics law. The public prosecution of Baselland has started criminal proceedings against the five men.