Over a thousand pillars support it they say. That’s how the Tausendfüßler got its name. This isn’t just any bridge. It’s a 630-meter-long elevated highway. The Autobahn 565 runs across it. It connects Bonn-Tannenbusch and Bonn-Endenich.
The Tausendfüßler carries thousands of cars each day. It opened in 1959. It was originally part of a new highway. Then in 1974 it became part of the A 221 autobahn. Its design is unique. Many individual columns form the northern section. The southern bridge only has three massive cross-supports. The initial plan was for a federal highway not an autobahn. That’s why it lacks emergency lanes. It only has two lanes in each direction.
This impressive structure crosses several important routes. First the Lievelingsweg and Brüler Straße. Then it goes over four tracks. These are the former Vorgebirgsbahn and Rheinuferbahn railway lines. Today the Stadtbahn light rail uses them. Both lines cross the Rheindorfer Bach near the Tausendfüßler. The Rheinuferbahn is already on the ramps of the overpass structure. After crossing the Lambareneweg the Tausendfüßler goes over the northern end of Bonn’s goods railway station. The tracks include the left Rhine line. There is also the connection to the HGK transfer station Bonn-Bendenfeld. The Voreifelbahn with several industrial siding tracks is there too. Underneath the tracks runs the Am Propsthof street. Just south of the tracks is the overpass of Am Dickobskreuz street.
The southern part of the bridge is called Dransdorfer Weg. This is because a street used to run there. It ran roughly along the course of today’s Propsthof under the motorway. It went on towards Siemensstraße and Dransdorf. This old route was once a railway crossing. Later they built an underground railway crossing. The left Rhine line is both under and overpassed by a street. That’s a rare combination.
The Tausendfüßler has seen extensive renovations. From April 2006 to December 2007 it was extensively renovated. Originally it was supposed to be completed by March 2007. However poor condition and weather delays pushed back completion by nine months. The renovation of the Tausendfüßler and the nearby Dransdorfer Weg bridge cost about 5 million euros. Further strengthening work took place in 2013.
The Tausendfüßler needs major work again. It handles over 100,000 vehicles a day. Plans exist to expand it to six lanes. Two options were proposed in a 2006 feasibility study. One is to shorten it and build a dam. The other is to lower it by 6-7 meters. The current structure might be demolished. The expansion is costly. It will cost around 200 million Euros. The project started in 2020 but is delayed. The expected completion date is somewhere between the end of 2021 and 2027. It will replace the entire structure. The new bridge will be designed for roughly 115,000 vehicles per day. A citizens’ initiative wants a bike path instead of additional car lanes. The Tausendfüßler is much more than just a bridge. It’s a vital artery of Bonn’s infrastructure. It connects the city’s past present and future.