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Quick reconstruction of the Carola Bridge: City administration surprised!
After the collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden, reconstruction work is planned. The fairway should be reopened by the end of September 2025.
Quick reconstruction of the Carola Bridge: City administration surprised!
The demolition of the Carola Bridge in Dresden is progressing faster than expected. After a partial collapse of the western traffic route on the night of September 11th, 2024, the city administration is working on completely dismantling the bridge. This comes after experts determined that the main cause of the collapse was hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking combined with material fatigue. This damage is due to the construction method from 1971 as well as weather-related factors that occurred during construction. Prompted by these findings, comprehensive causal research was carried out under the direction of Prof. Steffen Marx, an independent bridge expert, the results of which were presented on December 11, 2024. The city continuously tested the bridge according to applicable standards, but a reliable prediction of the collapse was simply not possible using usual methods, as dresden.de reports.
Fortunately, the city administration shows that the demolition work is two months ahead of the planned time frame and the work should be completed by the end of September 2025. In addition to the demolition itself, there is also good news for shipping: it is expected that the shipping channel on the Elbe can be reopened as early as mid-August 2025. The estimated costs for the demolition of the Carola Bridge amount to up to 18 million euros, and this sum is unlikely to be exceeded, as reported by deutschlandfunk.de.
Reconstruction planning
After the demolition, the city plans to rebuild the Carola Bridge with four lanes. The city council will give its approval in mid-June 2025 and estimates the construction costs for the reconstruction at around 140 million euros. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027 and the construction time has been set at up to two and a half years. These comprehensive plans are necessary to restore a safe and efficient transport connection that meets modern requirements.
The challenge that the city council and the city are overcoming with this large-scale measure could prove to be an opportunity to equip Dresden with a new, robust infrastructure that is not only functional but also meets the highest safety standards. So it will be exciting to see how the situation around the Carola Bridge develops and what new prospects arise for the city!