Renovation of Mittlere Brücke was more common in medieval times
The Mittlere Brücke and Greifengasse will be blocked to all traffic for eight weeks over the summer due to a renovation project.
The road and the pavements, as well as the cables under the Rhine-bridge and in Greifengasse have been in a bad shape for a long time and must be renovated, a spokesperson for the Department of Construction and Traffic said. This project is set to start on 4 April and will last until autumn, with the Mittlere Brücke and Greifengasse closed to traffic for eight weeks. The bridge will have wider pavements following the renovation.
It is nothing new that the Mittlere Brücke has to be renovated. The earliest bridge in Basel was one of the first ever to cross the Rhine: in medieval times however it needed far more renovation work than it does these days.
Built between 1903 and 1905
Bridges are generally delicate yet solid constructions that have to be strong enough to withstand the force of water. This battle against the power of nature is under control nowadays thanks to modern technology, stronger construction materials, and different working methods. The current version of the Mittlere Brücke is comparatively new. It was built entirely of stone between 1903 and 1905. All earlier models were built using wood.
Dating back to 1244
Its earliest version was one of the first bridges to cross the Rhine in Switzerland and was built in the 13th century. There was one older bridge across the Rhine in Rheinfelden, which verifiably had been constructed in the 12th century. The existence of the first bridge in Basel can only be dated back to 1244.
Heinrich von Thun
It is known that, as far back as 1225, the cloisters of St. Blasien and Bürgeln provided financial support for Basel’s bridge across the Rhine to ensure that people crossing it would not have to pay a toll. However, it remains unclear whether the bridge had already been constructed by then. Heinrich von Thun, prince-bishop of the city, had led the strong support for the construction of a bridge in Basel. In doing so, he was probably aiming to extend his influence to the north.
Wood and stone
The projected site at the mouth of the River Birsig was ideal because the banks of the Rhine are particularly shallow there. The archbishop partly financed the construction by pawning the church's treasure to Jewish merchants. Stone pillars supported the bridge on the Kleinbasel side while wooden pillars had been constructed on the Grossbasel side. The depth of the riverbed and the strong currents made it impossible to put down heavy stone pillars there. However, the wooden pillars had to be replaced again and again because they would rot, become weakened by the force of the water, and were generally rapidly worn out.
Gate and drawbridge
The Rheintor stood on the Grossbasel side: Watchmen observed all the strangers who crossed the bridge; they also collected the bridge tolls and locked the gate in the evening. Well into the 14th century, there was a drawbridge in front of the gate that could be raised quickly if an enemy approached.
Käppelijoch, a place of execution
The Käppelijoch bay was built in 1392. The stone part of the bridge was extended in the middle of the 15th century. A sixth bay – the Bärenfelserjoch, named after mayor Hans von Bärenfels – was added. In medieval times, the Käppelijoch was also used as a place of execution: From here, condemned people were thrown into the Rhine, some of them sewn into sacks. If they survived, they would be pardoned.
Goodbye Rhine gate, hello tram
The bridge remained largely the same until the middle of the 19th century – only having to undergo regular renovation and maintainance. In 1839 however the Rhine gate was demolished since it was regarded as an obstruction to traffic. In 1858, one of the wooden bridge bays was removed, and the Käppelijoch was moved to the Bärenfelserjoch. From 1895 onwards, the first trams crossed the bridge – and it became clear that a new and stronger bridge would soon have to be built. The strain on the bridge from the weight of the trams became increasingly problematic.
Granite from the Gotthard
Our current Mittlere Brücke consists of granite brought to Basel from the north of the Gotthard Massif. The bridge is 192 metres long and almost 19 metres wide. It was constructed by Philipp Holzmann und Cie. from Frankfurt along with the company, Buess und Cie. from Pratteln. A copy of the old Käppelijoch was installed in one of the seven bridge pillars.
Bold plans
There have been adventurous plans for the reconstruction of the Mittlere Brücke over the past few years, including one to massive broaden the bridge. By the 19th century, the idea emerged to fit the bridge with an arcade including shops. There was also a plan to dredge the Rhine in this area to allow for larger ships to pass through. For now however the bridge will be merely renovated. Compared to other projects, a plan to give the bridge a new road and tram tracks will be realised.
Conversion of Cargo sous terrain into stock company
The Basel transport company Cargo sous terrain (CST) officially became a stock company yesterday. The current associated members become stockholders, including all the major members. These will form the new administrative board of the CST AG, which takes over all business of the transport company. Peter Sutterlüti, president and delegate of the former company, has become president of the administrative board.
Realisation with private investments
The realisation of CST will be carried out entirely through private investments. The company is currently in discussions with investors regarding the financing of the building permit phase, which consists of the first section from Härkingen-Niederbipp to Zürich.
It is the goal of CST to win mainly Swiss investors for the financing of infrastructure and logistics systems. For this, an amount of 100 million Swiss francs is to be secured. “Switzerland primarily stands out with companies that take responsibility for macroeconomic projects to guarantee the country’s competitiveness,” Mr Sutterlüti said.