Dresden Advent traffic: more parking spaces, additional streetcar line

2,300 additional parking spaces and a dedicated streetcar line are to help cope with Advent traffic in Dresden following the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge. "We traditionally have more traffic due to the numerous Christmas markets during Advent," said Transport Mayor Stephan Kühn (Greens) at the presentation of the traffic concept.

With the Carolabrücke bridge, a central, efficient traffic axis has been lost. As a result, there was a need for additional action to cope with the additional traffic, according to Kühn. According to estimates by Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB), the volume of local traffic increases by 120,000 passengers to 730,000 per day during the Christmas period. In addition, car traffic also increases by 20 percent on Advent Saturdays due to the large number of external visitors.

Local transport plays a central role

The transport concept envisages as many people as possible using local public transport to get to the Christmas market. Most Dresdeners are already doing this, said Kühn. Anyone coming from outside the city is encouraged to park their car outside the city center and travel the rest of the way by bus and train.

The additional 2,300 parking spaces created are mostly free of charge. 1,200 of the spaces are available at the Ostragehege near Messe Dresden to the west of the Old Town. From there, the additional streetcar line 20 and line 10 run to the city center. Additional parking space has been created for coaches at the Marienbrücke. The relocation of the Christmas circus will create 130 bus parking spaces there - 60 percent more than before.

Carola Bridge closed since collapse

The Carola Bridge has been completely closed since the partial collapse. It consisted of three traffic lines. The western train C with the streetcar line collapsed on the night of September 11. The cause of the collapse is thought to be corrosion of tendons in the concrete. A decision on the two bridge trains still standing, over which more than 10,000 cars passed daily, is expected to be made in mid-December.