Ailing bridges in Saxony: 34,000 vehicles every day in danger!

Ailing bridges in Saxony: 34,000 vehicles every day in danger!

On September 11, 2024, there was a tragic incident in Dresden when the Carol Bridge fell into the Elbe only minutes after the last crossing of a tram. Fortunately, there were no deaths or injuries. The bridge, which is crossed every day by over 34,000 vehicles, exemplifies the critical situation of many bridges in Germany.

according to a comprehensive examination of lvz 210 motorway bridges with a state grade of 3.5 or worse are classified, which is considered "insufficient". This classification indicates that both stability and traffic safety are considerably endangered. In addition, 2,063 other bridges or sub -structures have a poor condition.

aging bridge stock

A large part of the dilapidated bridges dates from the 1960s and 1970s, when the constructions at that time were interpreted for a lifespan of 70 to 80 years. Today it turns out that many of these buildings, such as the Rheinbrücke A1 in Leverkusen, which bears almost 120,000 vehicles every day, reach their limits. The bridge is now closed for trucks over 3.5 tons, while a new bridge is built nearby.

The strong traffic gain, especially in heavy transport, has additionally burdened the existing infrastructure. The traffic has more than doubled since the 1970s, which also led to an increase in the number of truck from 1.5 million to over 6 million. In 2023, 3.3 billion tons of goods transport were registered on German roads.

monitoring and maintenance of the bridges

To ensure the safety of the bridges, they are subject to strict checks. A main examination according to DIN 1076 is carried out every 6 years, which is carried out by specially trained building engineers. In addition to these exams, simple exams as well as annual and semi-annual visits through street and highway mastering take place every three years. The exams appeal to apparent damage and document the results with the help of modern IT systems reports the BMV .

bridges are rated on a scale from 1 (very good) to 4 (insufficient), whereby the results are decisive for the maintenance planning. The grades not only reflect the condition, but are also the basis for all further measures for maintenance. In order to stop the decay of the bridges, it would be necessary to modernize 590 sub -structures annually. However, this number is unrealistic, since only 40 percent of the modernizations were completed by the end of 2024.

political failures and future challenges

The political implementation of bridge renovations has been behind expectations since the 1990s, which explains the current renovation backlog. Under Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing, a program for modernizing 4,000 motorway bridges was launched in 2022, but without concrete objectives for federal roads. The budgets that have been provided for the renovation of the bridge have so far been assessed as too low.