The construction work for the expansion of the federal highway B 588 between Reischach and the district boundary is completed.

More traffic safety and better traffic flow at Fuchsberg and in the section between Reischach and Mitterskirchen.

With the completion of the construction work for the expansion of the B 588 north of Reischach, the long-awaited gap in the expansion between Mitterskirchen and Reischach has been closed, eliminating a significant accident hotspot in the Altötting district. For road users, this means fewer accidents, better traffic flow at Fuchsberg, less congestion, and more traffic safety. After a construction period of about one and a half years and an eight-month full closure of the B 588, traffic was able to flow freely on the new road at the end of October. The extensive construction work was completed on schedule. The total cost of the project is approximately 15.8 million euros. The war in Ukraine, energy shortages, inflation, supply problems, and the availability of building materials, as well as COVID-19, influenced the construction measure.

Upgrade for the B 588 and better connection to the A 94

The federal highway 588, with a total length of about 20 kilometers, is one of the shortest federal highways in Germany. In southeastern Bavaria, it connects Lower Bavaria with Upper Bavaria in the shortest way, leading from Eggenfelden via Reischach to the A 94 motorway. It is thus one of the most important interregional connections for the northern Altötting district and the Rottal area, alongside the B 20. The federal highway 588 is also the federal highway in Bavaria with the highest assigned number to date. About 8,000 vehicles in 24 hours and around 1,100 trucks per day travel from Reischach towards Mitterskirchen and vice versa. In recent years, road users had to navigate Fuchsberg with a roadway width of sometimes less than 6.0 meters and a gradient of about eight percent. The high truck traffic caused significant problems not only in the town center of Reischach but also at Fuchsberg. Traffic jams formed because overtaking was not possible. Numerous accidents at Fuchsberg were the result.

Expansion of Fuchsberg ensures more traffic safety

The federal highway 588 was expanded north of the town of Reischach over a length of about 3.4 kilometers up to the district boundary with Lower Bavaria, focusing on existing conditions. The expansion connects to the section already expanded on the Lower Bavarian side at Mitterskirchen, north of Schöftenhub. In the steep area of Fuchsberg, a third lane was created over a length of about 1.6 kilometers to facilitate overtaking of slower vehicles. At the same time, several engineering structures and a flood protection wall were built. The northern entrance to Reischach was redesigned, among other things, with a roundabout.

Investment in the infrastructure of the Altötting district

With total costs of around 16 million euros, the construction measure represents the largest infrastructure project currently in the Altötting district. The expansion of the B 588 eliminated a central accident hotspot in the Altötting district. At the same time, the expansion significantly increased safety for all road users. The construction work for this major project began in January 2021. First, clearing work and investigations for the presence of old ordnance in the construction area were carried out. Subsequently, in April 2021, construction work began on the two overpass structures as part of the expansion section. Two new bridge structures now connect the remaining traffic routes. The structure at Schöftenhub connects the Waldberger Straße or the municipal road to Erlbach at grade level, thus ensuring traffic safety to the B 588. The second structure is located in the steep area of Fuchsberg. There, the accompanying roads, which serve to manage the adjacent areas and forests, are connected.

Continuous pedestrian and bicycle path connection is created

Alongside the expansion of the B 588, a path for subordinate traffic, as well as agricultural and forestry traffic, and for pedestrians and cyclists was constructed parallel to the federal highway on the east side. With the completion of the construction work, there is now a continuous pedestrian and bicycle path connection from Reischach to Mitterskirchen.

Extensive construction work and eight-month full closure of the B 588

On February 14, 2022, the road construction work for the expansion of the federal highway 588 along the entire section began, and the federal highway was fully closed to traffic. During the approximately eight-month construction period, traffic was diverted over a wide area. The companies Swietelsky from Burghausen and Rädlinger from Cham formed a joint venture to carry out the extensive construction work and to utilize synergy effects.

Improvement of flood safety

Due to the valley location of Reischach and the surrounding very hilly terrain, there are several streams and watercourses that flow into the Reischachbach and carry a lot of water during rainfalls. In the area of the Thaler Graben, a flood protection wall was built over a length of about 180 meters. This new structure consists of a wall-dam combination and is intended to improve the flood situation during heavy rain events. In the area of Fuchsberg, several road drainage facilities were newly constructed. On one hand, water is drained broadly over the embankment areas and seeps away. In places where it is not possible for the water to seep away, the water is collected and channeled through pipes to a rainwater retention basin and sedimentation basin. By throttling the discharge of water volumes, the flow conditions for the Reischachbach are improved.

Roundabout at the northern entrance of Reischach ensures more safety

A new roundabout was built at the northern entrance of Reischach. This roundabout, with a diameter of 40 meters, ensures more safety. In order to construct the roundabout, the Reischachbach had to be adapted to the new conditions and partially relocated. A new stream structure was required. The new stream course and the banks were designed to be very natural again. The new roundabout represents a significant change in the road alignment of the B 588 in front of the town of Reischach. Road users must significantly reduce their speed before entering the town of Reischach. With the new roundabout, the Fuchshub industrial area is safely connected to the newly built road to Unterthal at the B 588. On the east side of the federal highway, the municipal connecting road to Steinhausen was newly constructed, thus also connecting the adjacent properties to the roundabout.
With the roundabout, ultimately seven direct accesses to the federal highway 588 were closed and consolidated. By bundling accesses at the new roundabout, seven individual points with entry and turning maneuvers are eliminated on the federal highway. This leads to a significant improvement in traffic safety.

Appreciative words

Thanks to the very good cooperation of all parties involved in the construction, the extensive construction work was completed on schedule, and the federal highway was reopened to traffic after an eight-month closure. The collaboration with the municipalities of Reischach and Erlbach was very successful. The very good construction preparation, the professional construction management of the participating companies, and the transparent and accompanying press work paid off. There were very few complaints about the construction-related disruptions, despite the significant interventions and extensive detours.

At the conclusion of such a major project, thanks go to all project participants and especially to the landowners who made their land available for this important infrastructure measure.

Press release from the State Building Authority Traunstein