Preparations begin for the construction of the backstage

Construction work for the backstage at the town hall on Berliner Platz will start shortly. The necessary construction site has now been cleared and any rubble is currently being professionally removed. In order to ensure construction site logistics, the city is setting up an additional temporary "crossing" directly next to the existing bridge.

To this end, the Aa branch will be temporarily filled with gravel so that construction vehicles can cross the area without putting undue strain on the existing bridge. Special pipes will be laid through the gravel layer so that aquatic life and fish from the rear section of the Aa branch can continue to reach the flowing section of the Aa. These will ensure the necessary continuity during the construction work.

"We are preparing the start of construction in such a way that traffic and construction processes function reliably and the historical substance is protected", explains Phillip Küper, architect at the City of Bocholt's building management department, "at the same time, we are making sure that ecological concerns are taken into account."

The measure will be accompanied by experts as part of the ecological construction monitoring programme. In order to keep interventions reversible, the riverbed will be covered with a special fleece before the gravel is laid. This means that the material can be removed again once the work is complete and the affected section can be returned to its original state.

The next step, starting tomorrow, Tuesday, 9 September 2025, will be an explosive ordnance survey in the area of the future excavation pit. The investigations are expected to take three to four days - i.e. until 11/12 September 2025.

Following approval, excavation of the construction pit for the backstage will begin.