Bridge demolition in Halle: 5 million euros for a new elevated road!

Bridge demolition in Halle: 5 million euros for a new elevated road!

The city of Halle is dealing with an important issue: the bridges on the B80 elevated road over the lumberyard must be torn down and rebuilt. That reports Radiosaw and thus underlines the urgency of this construction project. The city of Halle is planning the new building due to identified damage and material weaknesses that exist but are not yet acute.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the demolition and new construction should take place gradually so as not to completely interrupt the flow of traffic. During construction, traffic will be routed in a single lane over the remaining side of the bridge. A complete demolition should be avoided, which will be a relief for commuters. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and the contractually agreed completion date extends from July 21, 2025 to January 19, 2027.

Financial aspects

The cost of the project is around 5 million euros, which is one million euros more than originally planned. This increase in construction costs is primarily due to a more than 20 percent increase in the construction price index since the decision in December 2022. The discussion about the cost increase and the changes to the original resolution took place on June 18th in the Committee for Finance, Municipal Investment Management and Real Estate and was unanimously confirmed. The proposal for the cost increase will also be discussed in the city council on June 25, 2025, as the city of Halle will inform about this process, according to information from Halle.de.

But the lumberyard bridges are not the only ones waiting for replacement. The elevated road bridges over the racetrack intersection are also to be renovated in the same period - also in several construction phases. This shows that the overall condition of many bridges in Germany is worrying, as the past proves. A report from Drees & Summer emphasizes that the German bridge landscape is in urgent need of renovation.

The bridge landscape in focus

The need for renovation measures is high: over 8,000 bridges in the motorway network and around 3,000 on federal highways are considered in need of renovation. According to a study, every second municipal road bridge is classified as dilapidated. The increased load from heavy goods traffic also poses major challenges for the bridges, as many of them are not designed for current requirements. Christian Ganz, civil engineer at Drees & Sommer, warns of the safety risks associated with dilapidated bridges.

Overall, the situation is an urgent problem not only in Halle but throughout Germany that cannot be postponed any longer. The planned renovations to the lumber yard bridges are a step in the right direction to bring the outdated infrastructure up to date and ensure safety for users.