Risk of corrosion on Erfurt railway bridge – city on alert!

Risk of corrosion on Erfurt railway bridge – city on alert!

The railway bridge at the Schmidtstedter junction in Erfurt is causing worried faces: current investigations have revealed signs of stress corrosion cracking here. According to information from the Erfurt Civil Engineering Office, which was based on a request from the Left, in the worst case scenario a complete renovation of the bridge could be necessary. This problem was already communicated verbally to the city council factions in mid-November 2024, which underlines the city's urgent action.

Deutsche Bahn owns the bridge, which is currently approved for trains with a maximum speed of 100 km/h. In order to increase the safety of the transport infrastructure, the railway is planning to install special microphones this year that will enable the acoustic detection of brittle fractures. If the suspicion of corrosion is confirmed, it may be necessary to remove tracks 9 and 10 above the bridge superstructure.

Construction challenges and investment backlog

The bridge at the Schmidtstedter Junction is part of a complex structure that has been expanded and renovated several times in the past. The last major renovation took place in connection with the expansion of the Erfurt railway junction. However, several bridges in the city are affected by stress corrosion cracking. Last year, for example, the bridges over Hannoversche Strasse were reported, and currently 27 of a total of 262 bridges in Erfurt are classified as endangered. The Schwarzburger Straße bridge in particular is a cause for concern.

These developments raise questions about the safety of transport infrastructure. The city administration is in the process of taking measures to prevent disasters such as the collapse of Dresden's Carola Bridge, which partially collapsed in September 2024. The Dresden Bridge was at considerable risk due to moisture penetration during the construction phase and the fatigue of prestressing steel.

Extensive renovation needs

The renovation costs for the affected bridges in Erfurt are estimated at more than 100 million euros. However, given the large investment backlog, the city is not in a position to implement all the necessary measures at once. German infrastructure analyzes reveal that at least 534 bridges across the country may need to be replaced, which are also affected by prestressing steel that is prone to stress corrosion cracking. Around 100 bridges have been identified in North Rhine-Westphalia, which will also be extensively examined.

One of the challenges is the need for a close examination of the bridges in order to identify and eliminate possible risks at an early stage. Those responsible in the federal states are faced with the task of ensuring the safety of the bridges in the long term and also closing the financing gaps.

There is an understanding that there is a need for action, but implementing the necessary restructuring measures will continue to demand a lot from those responsible. Maintaining the bridge infrastructure is ultimately crucial for safety and mobility in the region.

For a detailed overview of the bridges in Germany that are potentially in need of renovation, we refer to the reports from MDR and n-tv. The BAM also offers important information about bridge safety and its monitoring.