Construction chaos in Laim: traffic jams and diversions due to the tram west tangent!

Construction chaos in Laim: traffic jams and diversions due to the tram west tangent!

There is currently quite a bit of chaos on Fürstenrieder Straße in Laim. Construction sites with torn-up roads, confusingly swerving lanes and improvised bus stops characterize the picture. Traffic builds up, especially during rush hour, and pedestrians are often stressed. Many residents are wondering whether the difficulties of the construction work for the tram west tangent can really be gotten under control by the end of 2023, because the Munich public utilities (SWM) and the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) have announced the opening for December 2023. A section of 1.5 kilometers between Agnes-Bernauer-Straße and Ammerseestraße should be put into operation by then, as sueddeutsche.de reports.

Construction work on the tram west tangent started on June 7, 2024 - but with a delay of ten weeks because a traffic concept was not completed in time. A spokesman for the citizens' initiative “No Tram Westtangente”, Albert Sesselmeier, is frustrated by the current situation and describes the situation as “huge chaos”. Despite all the challenges, the SWM claims to be on schedule, but the condition on Fürstenrieder Straße is tense: the construction work has caused the street to lose 70 percent of its performance.

Progress and challenges

The construction work at the Agnes-Bernauer-/Fürstenrieder Straße junction, which is intended to create the connection to the Westtangente and the existing tram network, is a central part of the project. In addition, there is currently an interruption in the western branch of tram line 19 until the end of August. Further construction work will begin in Neuhausen-Nymphenburg from the end of June.

Particularly noticeable are the detours that were signposted to reduce traffic. Wotanstrasse will be redesignated as a one-way street to the north by August 2026, and bus lines 51, 151 and N78 will also have to be rerouted. The underground work will last until August 2026, followed by a construction break until May 2027. After that, Wotanstrasse will again become a one-way street until December 2028 while the tracks and other work are completed.

Long-term planning and further construction projects

The total length of the planned tram west tangent will be approximately 8.5 kilometers, with further construction phases planned until 2028. The sections up to Waldfriedhof and Ratzingerplatz are scheduled to be commissioned by 2027. However, there are uncertainties about whether the schedule will be adhered to, and Sesselmeier even expects the construction period to be extended until 2035, which continues to worry citizens.

It's not just the West Tram Tangent that's getting people talking: other urban development projects in Munich are also on the agenda. The city council is planning, for example, the beautification of Willy-Brandt-Platz in Riem with an investment volume of 18.6 million euros and a redesign of Curt-Mezger-Platz in Milbertshofen, which has been requested for years. Trees, green islands and seating areas are to be created here, as [abendzeitung-muenchen.de](https://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/muenchen/diese-bauprojekte-sollen-in-muenchen-verrealt- Werden-art-1037504) reports.

So it remains to be seen how the situation on Fürstenrieder Strasse will develop. Residents can only hope that the chaos will soon end and that the new tram section will improve mobility in the city in the long term.