Extension of the Main dyke begins in January

Construction work on the flood protection in the Rumpenheim area is scheduled to begin in the second week of January 2023. The construction work for this first section should be completed by the end of October 2023.

The current measure covers the entire Rumpenheim area and the field area on the border with Mühlheim. The expansion of the Main embankment in the city center between the Carl Ulrich Bridge and the former Farbwerke site, now the Innovation Campus, is scheduled for 2024 and 2025.

In the planning approval notice, the Darmstadt Regional Council stipulated that the construction work may only be carried out in sections due to the constant risk of flooding. The dyke upgrade within the Rumpenheim district, which is around 550 meters long in total, is therefore to be carried out in five sections. A further construction section is located in a field on the outskirts of Mühlheim. Work will begin in the western section between Kleines Gäßchen and Neugasse.

During the construction work, the area in front of the Main in Rumpenheim will only be accessible to a limited extent and traffic will be diverted in sections. The important ferry connection to and from Maintal will be maintained during the entire construction period, but there may be temporary obstructions. The heavily frequented Main cycle path between Schmiedegasse and the street "Kleines Gäßchen" will be shifted in the direction of the Main and thus lead around the construction site. During the construction work in the area below the Schlosspark, the cycle path in this area will be closed. A signposted detour for cyclists will then lead around the castle park via Schloßgartenstraße. The streets leading to the Main - Schmiedegasse, Fischergasse, Untergasse, Neugasse and Kleines Gäßchen - will temporarily become dead ends depending on the progress of the construction work. Access to the individual properties for residents and the emergency services is guaranteed at all times.

The parking lot in the Main forecourt will be closed during the construction period as it will be used as a construction site installation area. During the construction work in the field on the border with Mühlheim, the farm road there is also inaccessible.

An extensive explosive ordnance survey will be carried out during construction. As the sheet pile walls extend up to eight meters deep into the ground, the investigations must also reach down to this depth. This investigation will be supervised by a specialist in explosive ordnance detection throughout the entire construction period.

At the beginning of 2022, necessary tree felling was already carried out below the castle park and in the field area on the border with Mühlheim. At this point, it was already apparent that the row of trees along the cycle path between Neugasse and Kleines Gäßchen had developed so much over the course of the entire planning and approval process that the construction of the sheet pile wall would have a significant impact on the crown and root area. As a result, the trees were examined by an expert in tree statics in order to assess the necessary intervention in terms of stability. It was found that most of the trees had advanced fungal infestation and, as a result, decay in the trunk and root area. Based on these findings and taking into account other factors, such as the need for crown and root pruning, nine of the fourteen trees were removed. The five poplars in the west will be retained. All felling has been agreed with the higher nature conservation authority. The compensation for this will be carried out as part of the overall measure.