Marketplace conversion: construction phase change until the beginning of November
03.09.2021 – The increasingly critical supply bottlenecks in the construction industry are also having an impact on the ongoing marketplace conversion. Due to ever new delays in the delivery of important building materials, there are currently restrictions in the construction process.
"The building materials dealers have been reporting enormous delivery difficulties for some time now. This is a problem not only for private builders and tradespeople, but also for our local construction companies, who are still having to wait for the promised materials," reports Paul-Gerhard Weiß, Head of Construction. The situation is becoming increasingly difficult for the entire construction industry: "In addition to the high demand, which has existed for some time due to the construction boom and has resulted in enormous price increases, there are now global supply bottlenecks due to the coronavirus pandemic."
The construction company commissioned by the city of Offenbach via a tender is currently waiting for the concrete kerbs for the new roadway and the new pedestrian areas. Cement and steel in particular are currently in short supply due to short-time working and global capacity bottlenecks in container shipping. These building materials are indispensable because they cannot be replaced by others. The city recently contacted the manufacturers itself in an attempt to speed up deliveries. However, the delivery times, which were already several weeks long, have more than doubled. In some cases, waiting times of up to six months are to be expected. As a result, the delayed deliveries are also affecting the scheduling of the subcontracted companies. As these companies are often tied up elsewhere due to full order books, new appointments have to be made.
Plans are adjusted
Due to this extraordinary situation for the construction industry, the plans for the marketplace conversion have to be adjusted, says Weiß: "We don't have a construction standstill at the moment. We are trying to bring forward measures planned for later, such as the current work on the parking garage on the corner of Waldstraße and Bieberer Straße. There is still enough to do. However, we have to assume that the first construction phase will be extended by around six weeks. Provided that the delivery and construction deadlines that have now been announced are met, the switch to construction phase 2 can take place from the end of October/beginning of November."
This also has advantages, at least for the catering trade: the outdoor areas in the market square area, which are no longer required in construction phase 2, can be used for a little longer. The traffic calming on Wilhelmsplatz can also be extended before it has to be suspended until the beginning of next year as planned due to the market square conversion. During construction phase 2, traffic will have to be partially diverted via the side streets of Wilhelmsplatz, as the entrance to Bieberer Straße will have to be closed for construction reasons during this time. It is not yet possible to say to what extent the other construction phases will be postponed. "There are always opportunities to bring forward individual works in order to reduce the impact on the construction process. At the moment, however, we have to assume that the difficult situation in the construction industry will continue in the coming year," says Weiß.
The construction processes were also adjusted due to the need to investigate explosive ordnance. Due to massive disturbances in the subsoil - old building remains, reinforced concrete and compacted soil - the specialist company commissioned was unable to give clearance for the entire construction area. The procedure was then changed - the clearance measurements were instead carried out in individual steps using special equipment, but are now largely complete. Old cellar remains made of sandstone and concrete as well as vault channels had to be inspected and removed at great expense with the involvement of archaeological experts. The remains found so far were examined and documented by the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, but were not considered worthy of preservation. In addition, the root plates had to be permanently repaired to protect the trees because a large number of motorists had initially not complied with the ban on driving through the square. If traffic through the market square increases again after the vacations, the city will once again deploy control personnel to document all violations and initiate warning and fine procedures via the public order office.