Kennedy Bridge (Bonn)

Geschichte

The Kennedy Bridge is the middle of Bonn's three Rhine bridges, connecting the city center of Bonn on the left side with the town center of Beuel on the right side. The second Reconstruction, which began in 2007, was finished in July 2011.The history of the Kennedy BridgeConnection between Bonn and Vilich (now Beuel)Today's Kennedy Bridge is not the first connection between Bonn's two Rhine shores. There had already been a regular ferry service since the 17th Century. After the traffic grew faster and faster as well as high and low water, fog, ice or darkness complicated the transport, the city of Bonn made first plans of a bridge to the right bank of the Rhine in 1889. The citizens of Bonn started talks with the community of Vilich (the term „Beuel“ was first established in 1922). But it was a hard run until the festive inauguration of the first Rhine bridge on December 17, 1898. First, a dispute had to be clarified: the "Faehraktiengesellschaft", the community of the so-called "Faehrbeerbten" (ferrymen) who hold the „Faehrrechte“ (rights of ferry shipping) in this section of the Rhine, feared great financial losses. On May 13, 1896, the city of Bonn and the "Faehrbeerbten" both agreed on a payment of 190,000 marks, and a further compensation of 30,000 marks.FinancingBefore the beginning of the construction — not unlike today — the financing had to be guaranteed. Negotiations with various banks were unsuccessful. German Empire, Prussia and Rhine Province were also defeated, so the city had to bear the full costs, which the Council officially decided in 1894.