The reconstruction work on Kohlenstraße and the measures for two-way bicycle traffic on Poststraße have been successfully completed. With the final acceptance by the State Road Construction Authority (LfS), the joint traffic project is officially concluded.
As part of the measure, the traffic routing in several street areas was reorganized. On Kohlenstraße, one lane coming from Schlachthofstraße runs straight through the intersection Kohlenstraße/Rickertstraße towards Otto-Toussaint-Straße. At the same time, the traffic routing at the intersection Kohlenstraße/Rickertstraße/St.-Barbara-Straße was adjusted.
An essential part of the project was the contraflow bike lane on Poststraße. From now on, one traffic lane will be available to road users there, and a speed limit of 30 km/h applies. The conditions for cycling have been significantly improved: while cyclists traveling in the direction of Rohrbach share the lane with motorized traffic, a separate bike lane has been created for the opposite direction. This gap closure allows cyclists to pass more quickly through the city center between Homburg and Saarbrücken.
“With the completion of this important traffic project, we are implementing another building block of our downtown concept. Early experience shows that traffic flows significantly better from west to east through the city area. At the same time, we have improved the quality of stay on Poststraße and strengthened the conditions for cyclists,” explains Mayor Dr. Ulli Meyer.
Markus Schmitt adds: "Humans are creatures of habit, so it will take some time to get used to it. But as a cyclist, I was already able to feel the advantage, and if mutual consideration and slowing down in the city center are embraced, many residents of St. Ingbert will notice the improvements."
Previous traffic observations also confirm the planners' expectations. The new traffic routing distributes traffic more efficiently. In particular, the shift of traffic flows to Kohlenstraße and the diversion via the Inner Ring help to relieve the city center and improve overall traffic flow. Cyclists are increasingly using the route through Poststraße.
The traffic project was implemented for approximately 2 million euros and was funded by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Protection, Mobility, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection with around 626,000€.
Image: Giusi Faragone
Title: Free passage for cyclists in both directions on Poststraße
