Switzerland and France move closer together at Basel

The plans are not new, but they are now becoming concrete: the city of Basel and the municipality of Huningue in France are to be connected by a new bridge over the Rhine in the next few years. The bridge is planned at the level of the Wiese estuary in the Kleinhüningen district of Basel.

On Thursday, leading politicians from the three countries got down to business and signed a corresponding planning agreement, which lays out the next steps and the funding until the end of 2025. In addition to the Basel building director Esther Keller (GLP), the mayors of the municipalities of Huningue and Weil am Rhein (D), which is right next to Basel and Huningue, also signed the agreement. "A new bridge over the Rhine is central to growing together and mobility in the three countries," said the signing.

A cost-benefit analysis also confirms that the bridge brought major economic benefits for all three countries involved. It enables a tri-national quarter by connecting countries, bringing people together, and creating a high quality of life through sustainable transport connections. Cars should not drive over the new bridge one day, the connection is only designed for the tram, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic.

The connection will be built exactly where new residential and working areas are planned on both sides. Today, the so-called "3Land" area on the Swiss side is still characterized by the Rhine port, transshipment points for Rhine shipping, and container storage. With the construction of a new harbor basin, however, space will be free for a new living and working quarter directly on the Rhine. New residential and office buildings are also planned on the French side.

In accordance with the wishes of politicians from all three countries, a completely new living space is being created in the industrial port area; with paths, parks, apartments, and offices. The ambitious project is intended to provide housing for 8,000 people and create thousands of new jobs. According to planners' estimates, the number of jobs in the area will almost double by 2035, increasing to up to 30,000 jobs. Around 30 percent of all employees on the Swiss side are already commuting from France to Basel.

It is still unclear when the bridge will be opened - but probably not before 2035. It is currently the largest project in the cooperation between the three countries Switzerland, Germany and France in the Basel region, which has been in existence for several years. The project for a continuous path along the banks of the Rhine between Switzerland and France has already been completed. In addition, new green and leisure areas were created, which can be used by the future residents of the new quarters in "3Land".