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The first streetcars are running again on the streetcar line at Wuhlheide.
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Streetcars are running again on the streetcar line at Wuhlheide. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) announced that the first trains have been gradually rolling again since early Thursday morning. A BVG spokesperson said that the start went smoothly.
For the start-up phase, a shuttle service will be set up on line M17, which will run every 10 minutes between Blockdammweg and Schöneweide S-Bahn station. The detour for the other streetcar lines will remain in place.
However, replacement bus services have already been suspended. From Saturday, all routes in this area will run again as usual, according to the statement. The transition period is needed to adapt all information systems, service and timetables to ensure stable operations. Before traffic could be reopened in the morning, experts had to check the tracks and rebuild and reconnect the overhead lines, BVG announced.
According to the Senate Department for Transport, pedestrians and cyclists should also be able to cross from Treskowallee onto Edisonstraße again from now on. As there are still no traffic lights at the junction, security guards are regulating streetcar operations as well as pedestrian and cycle traffic. Ambulances, police and the fire department should also be able to pass through the area again - at least in the direction of Treskowallee/Edisonstraße.
The streetcar line had been closed due to the Wuhlheide Bridge in Berlin-Oberschöneweide, which was in danger of collapsing. According to the transport administration, regular inspections had revealed an increasing number of cracks along the entire length of the bridge. Demolition of the bridge then began on Saturday. The result of the full closure was considerable traffic obstructions on road and rail.
It will probably be a while before cars can pass through the area again. "The first easements for motor vehicle traffic are planned until June 6, 2025. This depends on the progress of construction and the current weather conditions," said the traffic administration. Six of the nine construction sites have currently been demolished. The entire construction site for the demolition of the bridge should be completed by June 27 at the latest.