The Luxembourg City Council approved the initial cost estimate for a cycle and pedestrian bridge connecting the Neudorf-Weimershof and Cents neighbourhoods back in 2021. However, costs have surged significantly since then.
The long-awaited project appears to be moving forward, but with a new estimated cost of €40.1 million–about €16 million more than the original estimate approved three years ago.
The €16 million increase is mainly attributed to the rising cost of raw materials. According to Laurent Mosar, a member of the municipal executive board (“Schäfferot”), €12.5 million of the increase is due to mandatory adjustments, including higher material costs such as steel and several wage indexations. Additionally, fees have risen by €1 million. The cost of the lift that will connect Neudorf to the bridge has nearly tripled, now estimated at €4.5 million. An extra €2.5 million has been allocated for project optimisation and structural reinforcement.
On Monday, the revised estimate of €40.1 million was approved by the city council, though it faced resistance. The Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) and the Left Party (Déi Lénk) abstained from voting, while the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) opposed the new budget.
The planned footbridge will span 200 metres and be six metres wide, with construction expected to take three years. Work is set to begin in spring 2025. “Everything is ready. The planning permission is in,” said Luxembourg City Mayor Lydie Polfer. However, an appeal from Neudorf residents, who remain opposed to the footbridge, is still pending. However, no formal request has been made to halt the project.
Six months ago, the Neudorf Local Interest Association, along with nearly 50 other parties, lodged an appeal with the Administrative Court to overturn the decision to build the footbridge. Roger Braun, president of the association, argued that “the entire neighbourhood will be disfigured if the bridge is built here.” He criticised the project for potentially harming the local environment, claiming that the bridge is unnecessary.
Danielle Castellaneta-Metzeler, vice-president of the association, echoed these concerns. She fears that clearing the forest and concreting the slope would result in excessive heat during the summer. According to her, the bridge is redundant, as Neudorf residents can reach the city centre by bus in just a few minutes. Castellaneta-Metzeler also questioned the location, suggesting it was poorly chosen.
Preliminary work for the footbridge has already begun, including the felling of trees in both Neudorf and Weimershof, near Kirchberg. Officials have sought to minimise the environmental impact. During a site visit on Tuesday, Mayor Lydie Polfer outlined the construction plan: a large pillar with a lift will be installed where the former nursery school stood, while a single pillar will be placed in the centre of the hill on the Cents side.
Despite the opposition to the project, Mayor Polfer emphasised that “this bridge will be built,” marking a key step forward in a project that has been discussed for 18 years. Over the years, several design options have been considered. Despite challenges such as the financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, construction is now scheduled to commence in spring 2025.
