Flood protection plus local recreation: improving the Main dyke

The Main dyke has protected our city from flooding for decades. However, expert reports have shown that the current Offenbach Main dyke does not provide sufficient protection against the 200-year reference flood, which has to be taken into account statically. As the owner, the City of Offenbach is obliged to maintain the dyke and is responsible for its upkeep and repair.

Here you will find information on the planned optimization of the Main embankment with the aim of combining safety and local recreation for everyone.

11.12.2025 Main dike renovation
Main dyke renovation: tree felling work completed
The remaining felling work as part of the Maindeich extension in the city center will be carried out next week to the east of Arthur-Zitscher-Straße.
02.12.2025 Main dike renovation
Maindeich expansion in the city center: tree felling is over
This means that there are no restrictions for drivers on Mainstrasse for the time being. The sidewalk on the Main dyke is open again.
14.11.2025 Main dike renovation
Preliminary work for Main dyke expansion in city center begins
Around 190 trees, including around 120 on the Deichkronenweg, will have to be felled for the work in spring 2026. Drivers on Mainstrasse can expect temporary restrictions.
10.11.2025 Main dike renovation
Expansion of the Main embankment in the city center begins
From Monday, November 17, preparatory work will begin in the city center for the final section of the dyke extension, which will increase the protection of Offenbach residents against flooding.

More news about the Main dyke

Questions and answers

Building & Living
FAQ on tree felling and the Main dyke extension
On this page you will find frequently asked questions and answers about the measure and tree felling.

General information on the measure

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The sections of the dyke that fall within the City of Offenbach's area of responsibility are around 2.6 kilometers long - starting at the Carl Ulrich Bridge: 1,866 meters in the city centre, 548 meters in Rumpenheim to Schlosspark, 166 meters to the Mühlheim border.

When repairing the Main embankment, the citizens' wish to improve the view from the Main to Isenburg Castle and Herrnstrasse and vice versa from the city center to the water should also be taken into account.

After intensive public participation, the city of Offenbach submitted the first plan for the Main dyke renovation to the Darmstadt Regional Council (RP) in 2011. In 2018, the regional president rejected the planned lowering of the dyke at the castle for safety reasons.

In September 2018, the city applied to the RP for a postponement in order to revise the plans and tackle the repair as a whole. The new plans were approved by the city parliament in 2019 and the decision on planning approval from the RP became legally binding on October 22, 2020.

Visualization at the level of Herrnstrasse, showing a combination of stairs and ramp as well as trees.

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A look into the future: A combination of stairs and ramp will provide barrier-free access from Herrnstrasse to the Main in the future.

The plans for the inner city area include the following: The dyke gate on Schloßstraße is to be rebuilt and the passageway widened from the current 5.50 to 15 meters and raised from the current 2.20 to 2.50 meters. In addition, access to the dyke promenade, which is currently only possible via two staircases, will in future also be possible via a barrier-free ramp on one side. A public toilet facility is planned under the stairs. In the event of flooding, a mobile dam wall is planned in front of the entrance to the dyke on the Mainstrasse side. As can be seen in the visualization, the access to the Main at Herrnstraße via a steep staircase will give way to a combined solution of stairs and ramp.

Costs and schedule

A total budget of 38.5 million euros has now been allocated for the project. Costs have increased compared to the 2019 resolution. The reason for the cost increases is the sharp rise in construction costs. The project is currently receiving 13 million euros in funding from the State of Hesse. A request has been submitted to increase the funding in line with the cost increase.

Construction began in 2023, and the section in Rumpenheim was completed in November 2024. The optimization of the Main River levee in the city center, between the Carl-Ulrich Bridge and the Innovation Campus, is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2026. Preliminary work began as early as November 2025.