Former railroad line transformed into green cycle promenade

A railroad viaduct in the east of Leipzig that is over one hundred years old is currently being transformed into a kind of "raised garden" for pedestrians and cyclists. The "Sellerhäuser Bogen" is set to become the highlight of the "Parkbogen Ost" project. The city's project description talks about a "jungle bridge": around 60,000 square meters of meadows, hedges and trees are to grow here one day.

The aim of the overall project is a green combination of cycle and pedestrian path that will connect Leipzig's city center with a total of five districts to the east of the city center. The "PaBo" - the abbreviation for the project - will encircle the east of Leipzig like a ring over a total length of eight kilometers.

Viaduct to be completed by the end of 2026

The 500-meter-long section currently under construction - 250 of which will cross the old railroad viaduct - will offer several seating and lounging options in addition to cycle paths and footpaths, according to the city administration. Planting and lighting will also be added as part of the construction work. Access to the ridge is to be provided via ramps and stairs.

Work on the old railroad viaduct should be completed by the second half of next year. According to the city, the total costs for this amount to around eight million euros. At the same time, construction work is underway on a new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists costing 2.5 million euros not far from the viaduct on Leipzig's Eisenbahnstraße.

City of Leipzig is in a difficult budgetary situation

The next construction phases of the major project are already being planned or are still being worked on, the city added. It is unclear when the entire "Parkbogen Ost" will be completed and how high the total costs will be. "The Parkbogen is dependent on funding from the state, federal government and EU. The local authority must raise the necessary own funds and anchor them in the budget." Completion dates and costs can therefore only be specified "section by section".

This is unlikely to be easy: Saxony's largest city is targeting savings of around 7.5 million euros for the current 2025 financial year, while next year's budget is set to be cut by around 20 million euros. The municipalities in Germany are in the worst financial crisis since the Second World War, said Leipzig's Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung.