No evidence of an underpass at this location found.
The Hirschstraße Underpass, a nearly 55-year-old tunnel that once served as a key traffic route in Karlsruhe, now stands as a mere remnant of its former glory. The city, however, has opted not to reopen this underpass, citing several reasons related to structural concerns, traffic flow, urban planning, and community input.
The underpass, built in 1969 and closed after the completion of the Karoline-Luise-Tunnel, would require significant renovation to meet modern safety and construction standards. The costs and complexity of refurbishing the old underpass were deemed too high compared to other alternatives, leading the city to investigate an at-grade crossing instead.
Reopening the underpass would have primarily served motorized traffic but conflicted with Karlsruhe’s broader urban and traffic planning strategy. The city aims to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist accessibility, reduce car dependency, and promote public transport, among other sustainable urban mobility goals. The underpass's design was seen as more car-centric and less compatible with these objectives.
City planners and traffic engineers instead opted for other measures to address the traffic issues at Hirschstraße intersection, such as improving traffic signal coordination, redesigning the surface intersection, and investing in public transport and non-motorized traffic infrastructure. These solutions were considered more flexible, cost-effective, and aligned with the long-term urban development vision.
Local residents and stakeholders also voiced concerns about reopening the underpass due to fears it could increase traffic speed and volume through sensitive areas, reducing pedestrian safety and neighbourhood quality of life.
An alternative to rebuilding the above-ground crossing at Hirschstraße was the Hirschstraße Underpass, which has been dormant since it was barricaded off. The extension of the Karoline-Luise-Tunnel past the intersection with Hirschstraße was also discussed, but the city decided against it due to narrow street width and high costs.
In a non-representative survey, 84.8% of the 1,260 respondents said they did not consider the intersection safe. Tense situations between cyclists and motorists when crossing Kriegsstraße were reported by a reader to the editorial team. Despite these concerns, the city has not yet announced any plans to reconsider the reopening of the Hirschstraße Underpass.
As the city of Karlsruhe moves forward with its plans to rebuild the intersection at Hirschstraße, it looks to make crossing Kriegsstraße easier with four adjustments: enlarging waiting areas at traffic lights, reorganizing the roadway into Hirschstraße, creating signalized crossings at merging streets, and creating signalized crossings in the west, north, and south of Hirschstraße. These changes are expected to be presented at the end of August.
The underpass, though capable of alleviating traffic congestion in the Hirschstraße intersection, conflicts with Karlsruhe's vision of promoting pedestrian and bicyclist accessibility, and enhancing public transport. Remodeling the underpass, built in 1969 and closed post-Karoline-Luise-Tunnel, would incur substantial costs and complexity, making an at-grade crossing a more appealing alternative for urban planners and traffic engineers. The city's focus lies on flexible, cost-effective, and sustainable urban mobility solutions, rather than reopening the car-centric Hirschstraße Underpass.
