Demolition of the Carol Bridge in Dresden: Large construction site starts Thursday!

Demolition of the Carol Bridge in Dresden: Large construction site starts Thursday!

in Dresden has been torn down the Carol Bridge for a few weeks after a part of about 100 meters suddenly fell into the Elbe in September 2024. This happened on the night of September 11th, and luckily there were no injuries. Nevertheless, there is great concern and an acute danger because the area is still unstable. The bridge, which was inaugurated in 1971 and represents an important connection between the old town and Neustadt, has since been closed to all traffic. To remedy the remnants of the bridge, the city and the responsible authorities have initiated extensive measures, such as Süddeutsche Zeitung reported

From this Thursday, the demolition of the still standing train A of the bridge starts, and that with heavy device: two large excavators, including a 120-ton length excavator with an impressive arm of 40 meters, are ready. You will first remove the asphalt and the construction concrete of the roadway plate in order to expose the tension wires underneath. This is followed by the cutting of the steel wires until the bridge part finally falls from the bridge. This fall technique does not fall from the sky, rather it is realized with a well thought -out case pad made of about 13,000 tons of material such as hydraulic engineering and empty ears.

Logistical masterpiece

Zug B is demolished according to the same procedure. During this work that is to last by the end of the year, up to ten excavators are in use for the recovery of debris. The fallen parts are loaded to trucks and tractors. Up to five trucks and 25 employees are permanently ready to ensure that the demolition will go smoothly.

The Elbe remains closed to ship and boat traffic during this time, while shipping remains possible. The ongoing work requires a lower traffic restriction: the entire area around the Carol Bridge and the Elberadweg are strictly cordoned off. The urban administration has ordered the monitoring of the remaining bridge structures as a security measure, since further sacking cannot be excluded.

A look at the bridge infrastructure

bridges like the Carol Bridge are part of a widely branched network and play a central role in the traffic system in Germany. There are currently around 39,500 bridges on the network of federal highways, which have a total length of over 2,100 km, which corresponds approximately to the route from Flensburg to Naples. A large part of these bridges, including the Carolabrücke, was built between 1965 and 1985 and is now in a critical condition, which leads to numerous modernizations and demolition projects, as bmvi

The collapse of the Carol Bridge stands symptomatic of the challenges that many of these buildings are facing today. While the removal of the damage is progressing, the emergency services focus on the damage limitation and the safety of the residents. The situation remains tense for the Dresden population, since the bridge not only represents an important traffic artery, but also embodies a piece of city history.