New district heating main line in Colemanstrasse
SWG is laying a new main pipeline in Oberlachweg and Colemanstraße as part of the district heating expansion programme.
The expansion of Giessen's district heating network is continuing apace. On 2 June, Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) will begin laying a new main pipeline, first in Oberlachweg and then in Colemanstraße. In future, this will be used to transport environmentally friendly district heating from the existing heating plant in the former US depot to the Eli Lilly site in Wieseck. The background to the project: Due to the constantly increasing demand for district heating, the plant located there will no longer be sufficient to cover the demand in Wieseck in future. "The new pipeline makes the district heating network more flexible and saves the construction of an additional heat generator in Wieseck," explains SWG company spokesperson Ulli Boos. The laying of the first two sections in the Rudolf-Diesel-Straße/Ursulum/Oberlachweg industrial estate therefore only marks the beginning of a total connecting pipeline of around four kilometres, which will be laid over the next few months.
Noticeable impact on traffic
The current construction project is divided into two sections: On 2 June, work will start on Oberlachweg. According to the plan, it should be completed in the 30th calendar week - i.e. at the end of July. Work will continue directly afterwards in Colemanstrasse. This second construction phase is expected to be completed in mid-October.
As the district heating pipe runs mainly under the carriageway, but also partly under the pavement, both areas will be affected in both construction phases. Specifically, there will be road closures and various diversions as a result. In the first construction phase, Oberlachweg between the roundabout after the Ursulum junction and Rudolf-Diesel-Straße will be impassable. Those travelling from the Ursulum exit in the direction of Frankfurt will be routed via the "U10" diversion through the "Am Alten Flughafen" area. There are different routes here. Which route is used depends on the destination:
- To THM or to Frankfurt - via Stolzenmorgen, Zeppelinstraße and Rudolf-Diesel-Straße towards the city centre.
- To the city centre - via Stolzenmorgen, Lilienthalstraße and Rödgener Straße towards the city centre.
- To Alsfeld and Grünberg - via Stolzenmorgen, Lufthansastraße and Rödgener Straße out of town.
Vehicles travelling to the Ursulum slip road in the direction of Kassel will be taken to the "U20" diversion from three points - also through the "Am Alten Flughafen" area:
- From Rudolf-Diesel-Straße out of town - via Rödgener Straße, Lilienthalstraße, Stolzenmorgen and Colemanstraße.
- From Rödgener Straße towards the city centre - via Lilienthalstraße, Stolzenmorgen and Colemanstraße.
- From Rudolf-Diesel-Straße towards the city centre - via Zeppelinstraße, Stolzenmorgen and Colemanstraße.
For the second construction phase, it is necessary to close one side of Colemanstraße in the direction of the "Am Alten Flughafen" area. However, the necessary diversion is much simpler: Traffic coming from the Ursulum exit in the direction of Frankfurt will be routed via the "U20" diversion via Oberlachweg, Rudolf-Diesel-Straße, Rödgener Straße and Lilienthalstraße. Vehicles travelling out of the city from Rudolf-Diesel-Straße will reach their destination via the same diversion. All diversions are clearly signposted on site.
Please bear with us
"We are aware of the fact that we are asking a lot of local residents with this construction measure and ask for their understanding in advance," explains Ulli Boos. Of course, those responsible are doing everything they can to minimise the restrictions - in other words, to complete the construction work within the planned time frame.