Reconstruction and expansion of district road 50 on the home straight

The extensive work on the K 50 district road between Lichtenfels-Immighausen and Korbach-Ober-Ense is on the home straight. On behalf of the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg, the road was upgraded and rebuilt under the direction of Hessen Mobil, a new shared footpath and cycle path was created and a number of modernisation measures were carried out. Construction work began on 26 August 2024. Completion is planned for the end of July 2025. The costs amount to around 4.65 million euros, 75 per cent of which is being funded by the state of Hesse. First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese and the district's construction department presented the project together with the Mayor of Korbach Stefan Kieweg and the Mayor of Lichtenfels Henning Scheele as well as Volker Löwer and Armin Wittmeier from Hessen Mobil in the presence of representatives from the Rohde/Wachenfeld consortium realising the project.

Sustainable transport thanks to new footpath and cycle path
First District Councillor and Head of Construction Karl-Friedrich Frese was very pleased with the success of the project: "This upgrade is a great benefit for the region. The redesigned K 50 district road not only offers greater safety and comfort for all road users, but also supports sustainable transport thanks to the new footpath and cycle path." The new footpath and cycle path was created as part of the district-wide everyday cycle traffic concept, which was developed together with the citizens of the district as part of a participatory measure to enable people to cycle from Korbach to Goddelsheim in future. The mayor of Korbach, Stefan Kieweg, also welcomes the measure: "The K 50 and in particular the new footpath and cycle path strengthen the cross-municipal connection between Korbach and Lichtenfels. We are thus creating new opportunities for safe and modern mobility in the region."

High demands on groundwater and soil protection
In addition to the reconstruction and expansion of the road, the scope of the project also included the renewal of the drainage facilities and the creation of barrier-free crossing options for cyclists at the entrances to the village. Particularly high demands were placed on groundwater protection and soil conservation in order to protect natural resources. Volker Löwer, Head of Planning and Construction North Hesse at Hessen Mobil, explains: "We are in drinking water protection zone III here. One requirement was that we cover the embankments and troughs with a 20-centimetre-thick layer of topsoil so that the rainwater can seep away over a wide area at the edge of the road in future."

4.65 million euros for the infrastructure
The project was carried out by the Rohde/Wachenfeld consortium. With a length of around 2,647 metres, the total investment volume of around 4.65 million euros is divided between the costs for the road construction of around 3.31 million euros, the cycle path construction of 1.24 million euros and the relocation of supply lines of 100,000 euros. The measure was subsidised by the state of Hesse to a total of 75 percent. The K 50 was fully closed during the construction period. This was necessary in order to carry out the extensive work quickly and efficiently. The investment in infrastructure contributes significantly to the quality of life in the region.

Further measures to promote everyday cycling
Nicole Sude, local mobility coordinator in the construction department of the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg, explained: "As soon as the construction work on the K 50 has been completed, the K 52 district road through Immighausen will be renovated by the end of the year. A shared footpath and cycle path will also be built alongside the road from the village to the Immighausen sports ground." The building permit for this has already been granted to the district, the only thing still awaited is the funding approval from the state of Hesse. "Once this measure has been completed, it will be possible to cycle from the basic centre of Lichtenfels-Goddelsheim to the central centre of Korbach comfortably and safely, first via a farm track and then on footpaths and cycle paths alongside the road. Pupils can then also cycle to school in Korbach or Goddelsheim. And the Green Trails on the Eisenberg are also easily accessible thanks to the new connection," added Nicole Sude.

Caption: Presenting the road construction project on the K50 between Ober-Ense and Immighausen: (from left to right) Dirk Wind) Dirk Wind, Construction Manager of the Rohde/Wachenfeld consortium, Construction Manager Rohde, First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese, Mayor of Korbach Stefan Kieweg, Nicole Sude (Construction Department), Volker Löwer, HessenMobil, Armin Wittmeie (HessenMobil), Susanne Paulus (Head of the Construction Department), Swen Meier (Rohde/Wachenfeld consortium, Managing Director Rohde) and the Mayor of Lichtenfels Henning Scheele. (Photo: District of Waldeck-Frankenberg)

Keywords:

Building department District road construction Cycling in Waldeck-Frankenberg