Wednesday, September 10
Tiergarten tunnel closed to traffic… again
The disruption began last week, when a heavily intoxicated lorry driver crashed while exiting the tunnel. That incident forced a closure lasting several days. Since the wreck was cleared, however, one of Berlin’s main traffic arteries has been shut down once more – this time for reasons that are less straightforward.
On Wednesday morning the tunnel remained closed, as it had on Monday and Tuesday. The problem is not lasting structural damage but a shortage of staff. Longer tunnels must be continuously monitored for safety, and according to a police spokesperson the road cannot reopen simply because there are not enough personnel to oversee it.
🏚️ Why is everything falling apart?
How long the disruption will continue is unclear. The tunnel was shut on Monday and Tuesday mornings for the same reason, although it reopened later in the day once the next shift began. The Berlin Senate has explained that the necessary staff called in sick at the last minute.
Officials insist they are working intensively to find a solution. Yet the episode feeds a broader sense that the city’s infrastructure is under strain: thousands of households are still without electricity after a major power cut, while S-Bahn breakdowns and other technical problems have plagued Berlin throughout the summer.
