Ernst May district
New residential area and greater quality of life for everyone in the “Ernst May district”
Mr. Nils Schalk
fone: +49 (0)69 212 43759
Project description
Reason for planning
With Resolution § 9550 of February 24, 2011, the city council commissioned the municipal authorities to initiate preliminary investigations in accordance with § 165 of the German Building Code (BauGB) into a possible urban development measure (SEM) for the “Bornheim/Seckbach interconnection area.” Due to its proximity to the city center, the development of the “Ernst May Quarter” (SEM 3) is considered an outstanding urban inner-city development project.
The inner-city area between the districts of Bornheim and Seckbach has been spatially separated since the construction of the A 661 motorway in the 1990s. With around 100,000 vehicles per day, the A 661 is an important traffic artery for the city and the region. Crossing the A 661 represents a barrier that can only be overcome with considerable detours.
For the residents living nearby, however, the highway is a major source of noise and air pollution from exhaust fumes.
The “Ernst May Quarter” urban and landscape planning framework can only be fully realized with the planned enclosure of the highway. Both plans are closely linked in terms of theme and function and must be considered together.
Planning area
The planning area of the Ernst May Quarter is located in the northeast of Frankfurt. It lies between the districts of Bornheim and Seckbach, east of Friedberger Landstraße and southwest and northeast of the A 661 motorway.
The section of the A 661 motorway that is being considered for possible enclosure is part of the above-mentioned “Ernst May Quarter” study area. It is located between the Friedberger Landstraße and Seckbacher Landstraße bridges.
Planning objective
The objective of the SEM 3 “Ernst May Quarter” resolution was to resolve the unsatisfactory urban and landscape planning situation caused by the construction of the A 661 motorway. Another objective was to reduce the noise pollution caused by the A 661.
The enclosure is intended to overcome the separation between the districts. Linking existing neighborhood areas could open up new residential development potential.
A generous green corridor could be created between the existing Huthpark and Günthersburgpark. This would improve climatic conditions and reduce noise pollution. The enclosure could thus create the conditions for the realization of urban development and landscape planning objectives for the “Ernst May Quarter.”
Planning process
December 2025: The city council has agreed to initiate the planning approval process for the enclosure of the A 661.
Summer 2025: Preparation of a municipal report based on the final report by Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH (DEGES) with cost estimates and the expected construction costs for the enclosure.
May 2025: Completion of the DEGES investigation mandate for the enclosure of the A 661.
April 2023: Reassessment of the enclosure length from plan variant L 2 to plan variant L1+.
By including the bridge on Friedberger Landstraße and the Seckbacher Landstraße gallery structure, an enclosure length of currently around 1,300 m is planned.
Since the end of 2019: Investigations and continuation of planning for the “Ernst-May-Viertel” urban development project are on hold until the city council decides on the implementation of the enclosure.
June 2019: Following the city council's decision to enclose the A 661 over a length of around 1,000 m, the Pesch & Partner office was re-commissioned with the aim of updating the urban development and landscape planning framework for the “Ernst-May-Viertel” district.
April 4, 2019:
- Decision by the city council (§ 3864) to implement the enclosure of the A 661 in variant L 2 (length of around 1,000 m between the Friedberger Landstraße bridge and the Seckbacher Landstraße bridge).
- DEGES is again commissioned to prepare a draft design with cost estimate.
June 2017: Change in the spatial scope of the study area of the “Ernst May Quarter,” published in Official Gazette No. 26 of June 27, 2017.
February 2017: Resolution of the city council meeting of February 23, 2017, § 1053, taking note of the status report on the preliminary investigations for an urban development measure and the removal of sub-areas from the scope of the investigation.
April 2016: Municipal report M 82 on the status of the preliminary investigations for an urban development measure with the following resolution:
- Approval of the basic urban and landscape planning framework based on the enclosure of the A 661 with a length of around 400 m (plan variant L 4).
- Removal of two optional residential development potentials, as there was no legal admissibility for a development measure here. Continuation of both sub-areas as independent development plan procedures. This resulted in a reduction of the planning area to approximately 100,https://www.stadtplanungsamt-frankfurt.de/admin/c4s_admin_frameset.php?psid=3rif85taqjbh5jvpa3f3p4rqk3s.
2011–2016: Key areas of focus for the enclosure subproject:
- Development of technical plans for four variants of the A 661 enclosure by DEGES in an in-depth feasibility study, including cost estimates.
- Commissioning of necessary expert reports.
- Implementation of a cooperative competition process, winning firms Pesch & Partner Architekten and Glück Landschaftsarchitektur. Further work steps to create a framework plan for urban development and landscape planning.
February 2011: Resolution of the city council § 9500 of February 24, 2011, to initiate preliminary investigations into a possible urban development measure in accordance with § 165 (4) BauGB (German Building Code).
2008–2013:
- Development of an urban and landscape planning framework for the “Ernst May Quarter.”
- Implementation of a cooperative competition process.
April 2008:
Development of an initial feasibility study on enclosing the A 661 “in the Bornheim area” by the Krebs und Kiefer office.
More information
Einhausung A 661
"Grüner Bogen 661 - Frankfurt verbindet". Machbarkeitsstudie. DEGES Gmbh, Produktion: HH-Vision, © Stadtplanungsamt Stadt Frankfurt am Main
Wettbewerbsergebnis aus dem Jahr 2019
Die städtebaulichen und landschaftsplanerischen Zielaussagen für das Untersuchungsgebiet sind aus der Rahmenplanung des Büros Pesch und Partner und Glück Landschaftsarchitektur entwickelt.
Weiterführender Link
Weiterführende Informationen über den Fortgang der Entwurfsplanung zur „Einhausung der A 661“ finden Sie hier auf der Homepage der DEGES. Dort wird zu wesentlichen Meilensteinen und Zwischenergebnissen berichtet.