Twitter
Facebook
Construction is anticipated to begin in November on a traffic circle to improve L369 congestion around the new medical center area and provide quick access to and from Ramstein and Rhine Ordnance Barracks, as well as improve access from the local communities to the autobahn.
While the end result will alleviate traffic issues along the L369 corridor, the planned road work through November 2019 will create an interim impact on traffic in the area.
“This is an important project for our community, but there will be an impact for those using Ramstein’s East Gate,” said Brig. Gen. Richard G. Moore Jr., 86th Airlift Wing commander. “We need drivers to pay attention, exercise caution and understand that there will be some increased commute times during the morning and early evening hours.”
To help minimize the construction impact, the German State of Rheinland-Pfalz Transportation Agency has developed a phased work plan that will keep at least one lane of traffic open at all times in each direction on L369, the main access road to Ramstein East Gate from the A6 junction at Einsiedlerhof. Ramstein East Gate and the medical center construction site will be accessible at all times.
The traffic circle is the first of a series of construction projects that will overlap to ultimately improve traffic on L369 for U.S. forces and local communities. There will be concurrent construction of the new access control point to ROB and Ramstein and a bridge over L369 that will connect Kisling Memorial Drive at Ramstein to the medical center.
Construction of the ACP is scheduled to begin late spring 2017, and the bridge will begin late 2018. Upon completion of the ACP and bridge, Ramstein East Gate will be closed and used only for contingencies.
According to leadership, the new seven-lane ACP, designed to serve both Ramstein and ROB beginning in 2020, will further improve traffic as the 600-meter long stacking lanes will help prevent traffic from backing up onto L369. In addition, the new bridge connecting the ACP with Ramstein will provide direct access for wounded warriors from the Ramstein flight line to the new medical center. It will also reduce traffic on L369 as U.S. personnel will also be able to travel directly between installations.
The timeline for the road work will also help mitigate the impact of construction traffic for the medical center. In order to minimize construction traffic, the main elements of the L369 traffic circle are being done prior to the vertical construction of the medical center, projected to begin in 2019.
“We are working hand-in-hand with our German partners on these important projects,” said Col. Keith E. Igyarto, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander. “The German government (with oversight by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) is the lead agency for most aspects of the design and construction of the L369 traffic circle and the medical center project. The German Federal Construction and State Construction and Transportation Agencies have closely coordinated the construction phasing plan with the U.S. Forces.”
