Transformation plan to improve Vogelweh, traffic patterns to change

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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  From a new high school and sports stadium to more than 1,000 new or renovated housing units, improving the quality of life in the Kaiserslautern Military community is the focus behind these and many other projects in the "Vogelweh Transformation" plan. But with such a large scale facelift comes an even larger scale of construction to make all of these improvements possible.

Starting this fall, more than $150 million of construction will begin at Vogelweh, driven primarily by four large Department of Defense Education Activity Military Construction projects. Everything from new gates, facilities and housing units to the renovation of existing roads and buildings are a part of the plan.

One near-term concern for some commuters is the relocation of the main gate.

"We are dedicated to making Vogelweh a world-class installation, but with these improvements come some growing pains we have to face," Vogelweh Transformation Manager Mark Schlueter said. "Although this will currently alter our traffic conditions, constructing the new gate will ultimately improve the traffic flow and safety for everyone here at Vogelweh."

The new main gate will be constructed at the south end of Vogelweh on 2nd Avenue, about two kilometers south of the existing main gate on the B-270 highway toward Hohenecken. Relocating the main gate will have the most immediate effect on everyone entering the Vogelweh-Kapaun-Pulaski complex, so a temporary gate will be erected in the BX/PowerZone parking lot prior to closing the main gate.

The temporary gate will be created to handle the bulk of the in- and out-bound traffic for the VKP complex until the new gate is operational. Upon its completion, the new gate will operate as an "in-bound" gate only until a traffic light can be installed at the intersection of the B-270 highway and 2nd Avenue.

"Our engineers are working closely with the engineers of the city of Kaiserslautern to ensure that we're doing everything possible to keep our community safe," Mr. Schlueter said. "We want to expedite the construction of the new gate, but not at the cost of everyone's safety."

The Pulaski traffic circle is also being improved to allow for larger vehicles to pass through. With this construction, drivers entering the circle from the Vogelweh side will be able to use a circle by-pass lane that will extend through the Shoppette/Commissary gate to the controlled intersection on the L-395. This is geared to improve traffic flow through the signal light and eliminate rush hour traffic build up.

Though Mr. Schlueter works hand-in-hand with the project engineers, many others are also working to address issues that impact the community.

A town hall meeting is held every quarter on Vogelweh as a means to discuss the progress of construction as well as openly invite members of the community to voice their concerns. Members of Army and Air Force leadership are present, as well as many others that play a vital role in making the transformation possible.

The next town hall meeting is expected to take place in October, but information regarding the upcoming changes will also be publicized as it becomes available through the Ramstein Web page (www.ramstein.af.mil), the USAG-K Web page (www.kaiserslautern.army.mil), the Kaiserslautern American, AFN-Kaiserslautern and other communication tools.

"We encourage everyone to come out so we can inform them and get feedback," Mr. Schlueter said. "Without their feedback, it's hard for us to address the concerns of the community."

Exact details of the closures, detours and other construction-related traffic changes will be publicized as soon as they become available.

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In addition to the new gate, residents and personnel can look forward to several other changes as part of the overall transformation plan:

- New high school, middle school and elementary school
- New Sports Field/Stadium with Multipurpose room
- Community Bank in Commissary
- Completion of renovated library
- Security Credit Union re-location
- Renovation of Child Development Center
- Relocation of Arts and Crafts Center
- Additional dorms and relocation of various units from Sembach