In September 2014, the bridge of the former colliery railway in Hervest-Dorsten, built in 1930 and only used by pedestrians and cyclists, was closed due to safety problems. The closure is expected to last a year. As the owner, Ruhrkohle AG (RAG) no longer wanted to take responsibility, so the city had to take regulatory action. After almost 85 years of existence, some parts of the bridge had become rotten and the height of the railing no longer met current safety regulations. According to initial estimates, the renovation and modernization of the bridge will cost around 600,000 euros. It is an important connection route within the city of Dorsten. The information available when the bridge was closed was that RAG would be willing to hand over the dilapidated structure to the city free of charge and pay the demolition costs of 320,000 euros. However, the city has no money for the new construction of the bridge and therefore entered into negotiations with the Rheinisch-Westfälische Wasserwerksgesellschaft (RWW) and the Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrowerk (RWE), as their supply lines run over the bridge. At the beginning of 2015, the two utility companies agreed to contribute a total of 150,000 euros to the renovation costs.
The ownership rights have now been clarified and the bridge has become city property. Also the above mentioned Financing in euros: The initially planned demolition costs, contributions from utility companies that use the bridge for lines, and state subsidies will be used.