Redesign of Offenbach's market square: first work from April 8

Other design measures include new furnishings such as the extensively greened canopy bus stop, which replaces the previous outdated canopy bus stop, new benches, new furnishings and modern street lighting. The Ottomar Gassenmeyer fountain will be moved to a new location, making it the focal point of the square, and a new lighting concept will highlight it in the evening and at night. There will also be a drinking water dispenser for passers-by to provide refreshment on hot days.

"With this bundle of design measures, the market square will gain a new urban quality and thus immense attractiveness as a central entrance to Offenbach's city center," says Weiß. "And of course, as always with such renovation projects, we are also taking the opportunity to modernize the many cable routes beneath the surface. Various utilities will be renewing and extending their electricity and water lines. This modernization of the underground infrastructure is also of great importance for the city centre."

The current plans are a comprehensive revision of the earlier plans from 2017 and 2018. At the time, the renovation project had to be postponed as only one company responded to the required tender for the construction work with a completely overpriced offer. The construction area is now smaller and focuses on the core of the market square without Bieberer Straße - and therefore on the most important area to be renovated. In its planning, the city has also taken into account the frequently expressed interest of retailers and restaurateurs in keeping the construction period as short as possible.

The planned construction period has been significantly reduced from the original 22 months to just 14 months. To make this possible, the market square will be closed to private motorized traffic from mid-May 2021 to the beginning of March 2022. Only local buses, cabs and delivery traffic will then be allowed to drive through via a temporary road that will be created in the western area of the market square (on the side of the Schwanen pharmacy). Residents can apply to the public order office for a special permit to drive through to their own property. The detour routes will be widely signposted in the city area - traffic will be routed around the market square via Kaiserstraße, Bismarckstraße and Waldstraße. All parking garages in the city center will remain accessible.

During this time (from mid-May 2021 to the beginning of March 2022), however, Wilhelmsplatz cannot be approached from the north via the market square. However, the weekly market and the retail and catering outlets around Wilhelmsplatz will remain easily accessible by car from the south via Waldstraße and Bieberer Straße as well as via Wilhelmstraße for most of the time. Only during construction phases 2 and 3 (from mid-September 2021 to mid-January 2022) will it not be possible to enter Bieberer Straße from Waldstraße - this is when the redesign work will take place. "A major construction project like this is unfortunately never without consequences for traffic and residents, but the city will always provide the best possible information about all measures through comprehensive construction site communication via the media and online and will do everything possible to keep the restrictions as low as possible," Weiß asks for understanding. Offenbacher Stadtmarketinggesellschaft (OSG) is providing a well-signposted signage system on site so that passers-by can always find their way, especially to the bus stops, which will have to be temporarily relocated. In addition, there is a residents' representative to support owners, residents and businesses.

Bus services themselves are comparatively little affected by the construction work. The service will be fully maintained and the journey times will not change. However, the bus stops will have to be temporarily relocated (replacement stops). Furthermore, buses will not be able to access Marktplatz from the south during the first construction phase from mid-May to mid-September 2021 and will be rerouted via Bieberer Straße during this time. Otherwise, buses will be able to pass the market square in both directions at all times and access the stops there. The cab ranks will also remain in place during the entire construction period and will only have to be temporarily relocated in Bieberer Straße.

The actual construction work for the redesign will start in mid-May 2021, preceded by the construction of the temporary road on the market square from 8 April. In total, there will be six construction phases until mid-June 2022. The budget approved by the city councillors for the redesign is 5.52 million euros.

All information on the construction project can be found online at www.marktplatz-umbau.de. In future, a construction site newsletter will provide information on the current status of the work - registration is possible at the above Internet address. In addition, a free OSG information brochure will soon be available in many stores around the market square. Residents' representative Nihad Moufadil can be contacted as a contact person for owners, residents and tradespeople by e-mail at marktplatz-umbauoffenbachde