Converting the railway line to a bicycle trail - Overview of the entire project

Converting the former railway line between Aue and Wolfsgrün to a bicycle trail

After a period of approximately three years, the grand opening of the approx 12 km long section of the Mulde valley bicycle route between Aue and Wolfsgrün took place. However, the initiative for the construction of the bicycle trail goes back to the year 2002, when at the invitation of Eibenstock Mayor Uwe Staab, the representatives of the towns Aue and Lauter as well as Zschorlau, Bockau and Sosa met together to discuss converting the former railway line between Aue and Wolfsgrün to a bicycle trail. The following basic data gives an overall view in chronological order of the journey from an idea to the realization of the bicycle trail.

February 2002   The first joint meeting of representatives of the towns Eibenstock, Lauter and Aue with its districts Zchorlau, Bockau and Sosa to discuss the conversion of the former railway line

29.08.2002   Official request by the communities to the Deutsche Bahn Immobilien GmbH (German Railway Realty GmbH) to purchase the former railway land (15 plots with a total area of 304.794 m2) and initial notification of the intention to reconstruct the former railway line to be used for a bicycle trail

23.10.2003   Project proposal to the regional government office of Chemnitz to extend the Mulde bicycle route for tourists

02.09.2005   The evaluation by the Deutsche Bahn AG (German Railway) of the dispensability of the required railway land

12.10.2005   Presentation of the first draft of a Charter by Mayor Staab, based on the idea of establishing a municipal association „Muldentalradweg” (Mulde valley bicycle trail)

18.10.2005   The Mayor advises the future association about financing the bicycle trail and founding the association

15.03.2006   Signing of a contract between the Zwickau highway department and the 6 communities: planning and construction of the Mulde valley bicycle path between Aue and Wolfsgrün by the Zwickau highway department with one hundred percent absorption of costs; subsequent care and maintenance of the bicycle path by the communities March 2006 Decisions in the town and community councils about the article of the „Muldentalradweg” (Mulde valley bicycle trail) Association as of March 15, 2006

22.06.2006   Submission of a grant application under the LEADER + Region „Westerzgebirge” to the State Office of Rural Development to promote the acquisition of up to 80 % of railway
land

06.07.2006   Decision of approval from the Landratsamtes Aue-Schwarzenberg (district office) to establish the „Muldentalradweg” Association

27.07.2006   Approval of a grant from the State Office of Rural development regarding the acquisition of railway land for the communities

27.11.2006   A meeting to establish the „Muldentalradweg” Association

21.12.2006   Notarization of the contract of sale by the Deutsche Bahn AG and the towns Aue, Lauter, Eibenstock with their districts Sosa, Bockau and Zschorlau

09.01.2007   Application to the Federal Railway from the communities for the declassification of the rail line

28.06.2007   Presentation of the tourist development concept for the Mulde valley bike path through the office „Herbststreit” landscape architects

30.08.2007   Notice of exemption by the Federal Railway Office for official closure of the railway line

21.08.2009   Symbolic ground-breaking ceremony in the city of Aue by the mayors of the „Muldentalradweg” Association

06.10.2009   Zoning decision of the Regional Council of Chemnitz for the construction of the bicycle route between Aue and Wolfsgrün

15.03.2010   Construction phase 3 (BA 3)

15.03.2010   Construction phase 8 (BA 8)

18.08.2010   Construction phase 2 (BA 2)

18.08.2010   Construction phase 5 (BA 5)

15.08.2011   Construction phase 1 (BA 1)

19.08.2011   Construction phase 6 (BA 6)

19.09.2011   Construction phase 7 (BA 7)

19.09.2012   Construction phase 4 (BA 4)

01.01.2013   The communities of Bad Schlema and Schoenheide join the „Muldentalradweg” Association

03.05.2013   Opening of the Mulderadweg bicycle route between Aue and Wolfsgruen by Secretary of State Jan Mücke (Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development of the Federal Republic of Germany) and the State Secretary Roland Werner (State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport of Saxony)

Significantly involved in the 6,313 million Euro project were:

Sponsors of the project:

• Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Road Administration of Saxony
  (production and building costs)
• „Muldentalradweg” Association
  (acquisition of land for the path and the buying of property, cost of maintenance)

Project support, construction planning and tendering, construction management:

• LISt Gesellschaft für Verkehrswesen und ingenieurtechnische Dienstleistungen mbH (society of transportation
  and engineering services mbH), Rochlitz; on behalf of the „Landesamt für Straßenbau und
  Verkehr, Niederlassung Plauen“ (State Agency for Road and Transport in Plauen)

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