Newly designed Moritzstrasse opened: Path guidance with a square character

"There can be no better and more fitting time than to reopen Moritzstraße at the University of Kassel's campus festival," said a delighted Prof. Dr. Ute Clement, President of the University of Kassel. After around a year of construction, the redesigned Moritzstraße was officially opened yesterday. It is expected to open to traffic on Wednesday, May 29.

The most noticeable change: the cobblestones and asphalt between Gottschalkstraße and Liebigstraße have disappeared. Instead, the road has been surfaced with the same slabs as the adjacent open spaces. This creates a uniform, unifying image that also gives the street the character of a square. The successful redesign, which also includes some trees and small ramps at both ends of the street section, encourages drivers to drive as slowly as possible through the street.

The width of Moritzstrasse was narrowed to 5.50 meters and designated as a traffic-calmed area with a 20 km/h zone. Cyclists and motorists share the road at a slow speed, allowing pedestrians to pass at a relaxed pace. So-called dialog displays show motorists their current speed and signal them to slow down if necessary.

"The new 20 km/h zone in Moritzstrasse will significantly increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the area around the campus. At the same time, the road will remain open to motorized traffic so that access to the campus is still guaranteed. The new street blends in very well with the design of the square. This approach, which is being used for the first time outside the city center, shows how traffic-calming measures can improve the quality of life in our cities," says Simone Fedderke, Head of Transport for the City of Kassel.

Construction work was delayed by the pandemic and delivery problems with the stone pavement, which meant that construction did not start until 2023. The total construction costs amount to 3.36 million euros. The client is the state of Hesse, represented by the Hessian Ministry of Finance, represented by the LBIH.

Contact

Pia Schubert-Neukäter
Project Manager University Construction
comm. Project Manager State Building
Landesbetrieb Bau und Immobilien Hessen (LBIH), Niederlassung Nord
Tel.: 0561 7203-151
E-Mail: Pia.Schubert-Neukaeter[at]lbih.hessen[dot]de