Lake blocking: Refurbishment work starts at the earliest in 2026!

Lake blocking: Refurbishment work starts at the earliest in 2026!

The Helenesee in Frankfurt (Oder), also known as the "small Baltic Sea", remains largely closed to bathers for the coming years. This was necessary by serious slides on the east bank, which led to the full closure of the water in May 2021. Experts are currently working on the assessment of stability and the development of a comprehensive renovation concept, the implementation of which can probably begin in 2025 or 2026 at the earliest. Sub -areas of the beaches are still not accessible for the duration of the work to ensure the safety of visitors. The general willingness of the Brandenburg State Mining Agency does not exclude the risk of further slips, which is why the city authorities have to advance careful planning, rbb24 .

The famous Helenesee was created after the former lignite trove of "Helene", which was operated between 1943 and 1958. After the end of the open -cast mining in 1970, the resulting hole filled with groundwater. Since then, the banks have been regularly affected by slips due to erosion and unstable material. As early as 2010, the southern bank had to be closed due to similar dangers. The recent massive slides now led to the total closure of the lake to ensure the safety of bathers and walkers. The risk remains high, so that a reopening will take a few more years, complements HeleneCamp .

renovation plan and costs

The scheduled renovation work is complex and require extensive geotechnical studies. The first cost estimates for the renovation are between 40 and 60 million euros, but the exact expenses are so far unclear. The financing is divided between the federal government and the state of Brandenburg, which is considered an important step to promise a future reopening of the lake. A 3-stage plan that includes soil investigations, the creation of a renovation concept and the implementation of the necessary measures is currently taken into account in the planning, rbb24 .