Norderelbbrücke near Hamburg: Traffic in danger - new building only in 2029!

Norderelbbrücke near Hamburg: Traffic in danger - new building only in 2029!

The A1 Norderelbbrücke near Hamburg is on the brink. Despite its defective constitution, which was "insufficiently" assessed with the grade, the bridge should remain open to traffic for at least six years. A new building is planned for 2026, but until the new bridge can replace the old one, a lot of time will go into the country. A spokesman for the Federal Project Society Deges informed that reading measures for 2025 are already being aimed at to prepare the new building.

A planned planning approval decision will be sought in mid -2026 so that the first construction work can begin. However, there are already concerns. After announcing the project documents in the previous year, over 20 objections were received, including environmental associations, which could further delay the process. This shows the complexity and the many hurdles that can still be overcome before construction can begin.

Significant damage and uncertainties

The 1963 Norderelbbrücke is in a questionable condition. An official investigation showed that stability is classified as endangered, even if there are no acute dangers due to the current damage. Autobahn GmbH Nord said that smaller damage led to poor evaluation. Fine cracks between weld seams and steel components were recently discovered, which resulted in a temporary ban on transport for heavy load transports. This blocking was imposed on September 11th - but only by chance, in time close to the accident of the Carol Bridge in Dresden, an spokesman for the Autobahngesellschaft.

The mechanisms for monitoring the bridge are updated, so that new exams should take place at short intervals in order to constantly guarantee security. The final result of the main inspection is still pending, which increases the uncertainty in terms of bridge development.

traffic volume remains high

Traffic on the Norderelbbrücke also increases. Around 136,000 vehicles are currently counted daily, with truck traffic already setting up 21 percent of total traffic and continuing to grow. For 2030, up to 160,000 vehicles per day are forecast, which makes the bridge one of the most busy sections in Germany. It remains to be seen how the dilapidated infrastructure can deal with these high traffic loads and whether the plans for innovation can actually be implemented on time.

For more information about the current state of affairs and new developments around the Norderelbbrücke, See the reporting on www.radiohamburg.de .