We spoke with DIHK Vice President and President of the IHK Hagen, Ralf Stoffels, whose company BIW is located in the region, and who is committed to a rapid and reliable infrastructure policy – using the specific example of the Rahmedetal Bridge.

How have the demolition and prolonged closure of the Rahmedetal Bridge affected your company and the region – economically, organizationally, and personally?

Even 30 kilometers away from my company and my residence, we feel the effects of the full closure of the A45 near Lüdenscheid. Delivery times have become longer, transports more expensive and harder to calculate, and diversions in surrounding cities have also slowed down traffic locally. This affects competitiveness and ultimately investment decisions. A location that is not reliably accessible loses attractiveness – nationally and internationally. Organizationally, the closure meant an enormous effort. This is particularly noticeable for our employees, who had significantly longer commutes to work. Frustration among companies was high because the economy depends on functioning, reliable infrastructure.

What does the reopening of the bridge mean (shortened): Are you already feeling relief, or is normality only gradually returning?

The reopening of the Rahmedetal Bridge is very good news for our region, but the profound effects of the closure will not disappear overnight. The A45 is the infrastructural lifeline for South Westphalia and is of central importance for the economic location. With its release, supply chains are becoming more stable, travel times are significantly shorter, and the daily burden on commuters is noticeably reduced. This brings initial relief to the companies in the region.

At the same time, normality is only gradually returning. Processes have to be re-established, and trust in reliable procedures has to grow again. For the economy, the reopening primarily means greater predictability, lower costs, and an important signal beyond the region: The location regains infrastructural reliability – which is the prerequisite for sustainable recovery and new perspectives.

What lessons do you draw from this time – and what do you expect from politics and infrastructure operators to better protect companies in similar situations in the future?

The most important lesson from this time is that when all parties work together, construction speeds are possible in Germany that many previously considered unrealistic. The pace of the new construction of the Rahmedetal Bridge must become the benchmark for the renovation and modernization of our transport infrastructure as a whole. For this, it is essential that politics permanently make planning and approval procedures significantly faster and more efficient. The speed shown here must not remain an exception but must become the standard.

At the same time, we expect that the consequential damage will be taken seriously. Many state and municipal roads in the region have been severely damaged by diversion traffic and urgently need to be repaired. It is crucial that the necessary repairs are coordinated and agreed across road construction authorities, otherwise companies face similar burdens and impacts as during the closure of the A45 itself.