20.09.2011

Facilitating arrivals

Public transport connection is a decisive factor in the development of any new urban district. Thanks to the opening of the new bridge across Rudower Chaussee with its modernised tracks for longdistance and S-Bahn trains as well as the extension of the tram line, the prospering business, science and media location of Adlershof can now be easily reached both from Berlin‘s city centre and the future Berlin Brandenburg Airport “Willi Brandt”. Adlershof is increasingly taking centre stage.

Already today, there are 22,000 people working, going to college or doing research in the city of science, business and media. Six scientific institutes of Berlin’s Humboldt University alone attract nearly 8,000 students and teachers each term. Added to these are about 1,700 associates from external research institutes and almost 5,000 staff employed with the 425 companies that set up business in the science and technology park over the last years, among them worldwide- operating businesses such as Freudenberg Group. Moreover, broadcasters are busy producing programmes again at the old studios of Deutsche Film AG (DEFA). Today, approximately 140 companies with more than 1,700 staff are based at the media location. Likewise, local business enterprises with some 5,000 employees are continuing to expand.

A majority of 60 percent of those who work and live here are users of public transport. For them, not only the fast connection to Adlershof’s S-Bahn station – which was refurbished between 2006 and 2009 – is a decisive factor, but also the easy access to institutions, companies and research centres within the Adlershof area. “On that score, the extension of the tram line from Adlershof S-Bahn station via Rudower Chaussee to the loop track at Karl-Ziegler- Straße was a huge step forward,” says Grit Schade from Berlin‘s Senate Department For Urban Development.
In her view, the tram line will be a catalyst for the further advancement of the science location’s dynamics. The Berlin Transport Authority (BVG) invested 13 million euros into the expansion of the line which formerly ended in a terminal loop at Adlershof S-Bahn station on Rudower Chaussee. The opening of the bridge underpass marks another milestone in Adlershof’s economical and infrastructure development.
Crossing Rudower Chaussee and leading to Adlershof S-Bahn station, the bridge was broadened from a little under 15 to nearly 34 metres, not only allowing for an easier automobile traffic flow, but also creating room for the extension of the tram line from Alt-Adlershof into the city of science itself.

Both the enlargement of the bridge and the upgrading of Rudower Chaussee are being subsidised with an amount of approximately 17 million euros provided by the Joint Task Framework Plan for the “Advancement of the Regional Economic Structure” issued by the Senate Department For Economy, Technology And Women´s Issues as well as by additional funds from the state of Berlin. Furthermore, the Deutsche Bahn AG invested 11 million euros into the renovation of the S-Bahn station.

Money well invested, since the citizens, traders and professionals from both Alt- and Neu-Adlershof are now able to easily commute from one part of the city to the other by the shortest route.

As the location is furthermore booming due to the impending opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport “Willy Brandt”, it shouldn’t take too long for the tram line to be extended to Schöneweide S-Bahn station to facilitate arrivals even more. The course has already been set.

Links: www.bvg.de