As construction for the Republikplaz governmental center project entered the final phases, work could begin on the massive A1 Kapitalstadt city center relocation scheme. Just as Republikplatz brings Schwerdt's government offices together in one location, people must have an efficient means of transport there and back.
Project Background
Kapitalstadt is an historic town with many priceless areas that date back centuries. At the same time, Kapitalstadt is also the modern capital city of an economically well-developed, industrially and technologically advanced nation. The capital must, therefore, be served by modern transport infrastructure, including rail, air, and roadways.
Schwerdt's major highways, the Autobahnen, or A-numbered highways, provide safe, efficient arterial roadways throughout the country. This is always a challenge in the urban areas where space is limited and costly. Even so, with the concentration of national governmental offices at Republikplatz, the need to provide a modern highway to the center was crucial.
One of the biggest highway projects since the first Autobahnen were built, the A1 Kapitalstadt project has been in the works almost as long as the Republikplatz project. Stretching over a decade, work has proceeded ahead of schedule while maintaining current transportation services via roadway and rail.
Project Scope
The A1 Kapitalstadt project consists of reworking the outlying roadways to accomodate today's traffic requirements. Efficient connections with the Autobahnen serving the rest of the country is also paramount in the project. Another feature of the project is the placement of the highway below the level of city streets. The central artery tunnel, therefore, moves traffic unimpeded to the city center without adding congestion to the old-town streets. The sub-surface highway also eliminates the need for surface roads in the Republikplatz, which facilitates the pedestrian atmosphere and enhances security features of the government center.
While primarily a road project, work is proceeding on the relocation of Kapitalstadt center city passenger rail service along the A1 alignment. When complete, transport will be better served and safer. At the same time, valuable real estate will become available for redevelopment.
Current Status
The project is now just over 82% complete, with most of the outlying connections completed. The main tunnel through the city center is also complete, with work on several connectors the only part remaining.
