Kevelaer - Despite ongoing measures, the municipal utilities, the representatives of the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer involved and the construction company are doing everything they can to make the necessary areas usable in good time and ensure that the traditional funfair runs smoothly. "The funfair is very important for our town and its visitors. We have therefore organized the construction processes so that the festival can take place as planned. Even if some areas remain a construction site, the crucial areas will be ready on time," promises Dr. Dominik Pichler, Mayor of the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer.
Current construction progress and planning
Work is currently being carried out in several places at the same time. The paving work on the underground parking garage and in the "Mother and Child" area should be completed in March. Construction work has begun on the "old" Busmannstraße to create the "new" Busmannstraße, which should be completed by the fair. This will allow traffic to be routed from Twistedener Straße via Marktstraße and Busmannstraße to Peter-Plümpe-Platz.
Even though the future wedding garden will not yet be completed for the fair, the area in front of the Old Town Hall will be provisionally prepared so that the festive chain handover can take place there as usual on the steps in front of the Old Town Hall. In addition, the so-called orientation point will be completed on time. This is an area along Marktstrasse that will serve as a meeting point for groups of visitors, for example.
The area known as "Alter Markt" between Roermonder Platz and the access road behind the town hall should be paved in April. Work will then begin parallel to this area on Marktstrasse. This construction section between Roermonder Platz and the road behind the town hall should be completed by the time of the funfair. The work will be carried out with a full closure of Marktstraße in order to carry it out efficiently. Wolfgang Toonen, operations manager at Stadtwerke Kevelaer, explains: "Coordinating the various construction phases is a challenge, but we are working closely with everyone involved to ensure that the funfair can take place safely and in the usual atmosphere despite the ongoing work. Our aim is to complete the main areas by then."
Outlook after the fair
After the Volksfest, the construction work on Marktstraße in the direction of Busmannstraße will continue. The final sections will be completed at the end of June: The paving of the wedding garden in front of the Old Town Hall and the Volksbank an der Niers and the final work on Marktstraße up to St.-Klara-Platz. This work will also be carried out with full road closures to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
As things stand, all parties involved expect the construction work to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2025. However, weather-related influences or unexpected finds in the ground may cause delays.