Senate gives 45 million euros for Mühlendammbrücke and gene therapy

Construction work on the Mühlendamm bridge will continue for a long time. (archive picture)

The Berlin Senate is funding two major projects with 45 million euros. 25 million euros will go towards a center for gene and cell therapies at Nordhafen and 20 million euros towards the renovation of one of Berlin's most important bridges, the busy Mühlendammbrücke in Mitte. This was announced by Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) after the Senate meeting in the Rotes Rathaus.

The excavators for the research center are due to start rolling next autumn. A so-called translational center for gene and cell therapies is planned, in which new treatment options for incurable diseases such as cancer or Parkinson's will be researched. Berlin's Charité hospital and the Bayer Group, among others, are to move in.

74,000 vehicles cross the Mühlendammbrücke every day

The Mühlendammbrücke in Berlin-Mitte, built in 1986 as an important east-west axis over the Spree, will be demolished and rebuilt in two stages from 2024. The construction work is expected to be completed by 2029. Up to 74,000 vehicles use the bridge every day; at the moment, they have to make do with the western half. The funds that have now been approved are intended for the second construction phase. According to Giffey, this is a project that will keep the Berlin Senate busy "for a while yet".

Funding as part of the "Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures"

Both projects are funded as part of the so-called "Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures" (GRW). This is a federal and state government program and, according to Giffey, the most important economic development instrument in Berlin. The federal government and the state of Berlin each provide 50 percent of the funding. There are currently 140 ongoing GRW projects in Berlin, as Giffey added. The total funding amounts to 1.35 billion euros.