Norderelbbrücke: Danger to life despite insufficient - six years until the new building!

Norderelbbrücke: Danger to life despite insufficient - six years until the new building!

In the middle of growing concern about the state of the Norderelbbrücke, which the A1 motorway near Hamburg leads across the Elbe, it becomes clear that the dilapidated building must remain in operation. The bridge, which has been exposed to numerous loads since its construction in 1963, has received an alarming state assessment from the Federal Agency for Streets in a recent study. Despite this grade rated as "insufficient", with the assessment of 3.5, it was found that the stability of the bridge is not acute. Nevertheless, this means that traffic must be continued for the next six years without significant changes.

The planned repair and the construction of a new bridge are to begin from 2026. Interestingly, the aim is to start with initial preparatory work in 2025, as a spokesman for the Federal Project Society Deges said. The target brand for the change of traffic on the new infrastructure is set at 2029/30. So far, however, the necessary building law is missing. The planning approval decision will be sought for mid -2026. These legal hurdles could be complex; After the last implementation approach that was presented a year ago, over 20 objections, including environmental associations.

urgency of the measures

The bridge was recently subjected to a comprehensive examination in which serious damage was found. Fine cracks that became visible between weld seams and steel parts are particularly worrying. However, since these cracks could not be determined consistently and no serious deficits in the steel thickness, heavy load transports may also pass the bridge again, Autobahn GmbH Nord said. Traffic on this important traffic axis is enormous; Around 136,000 vehicles run across the bridge every day, with trucks make up a share of 21 percent.

With a view to the future, it is predicted that the traffic load could increase to up to 160,000 vehicles a day by 2030, with the proportion of trucks increasing to up to 27 percent. This growing traffic burden underlines the urgency to obtain the necessary approval for the new building. Nevertheless, the ongoing state of the bridge is a worrying signal for the safety of road users. www.sat1regional.de reports , a total of 43 bridges are affected nationwide with a similar bad evaluation, and the gap between the requirements for the infrastructure and the actual implementation is becoming increasingly obvious.

The Norderelbbrücke is therefore not only an emblematic example of the problems of the German transport infrastructure, but also asks important questions about future planning, the legal framework and the need for faster measures. While the Federal Institute for Road Sewings reports alarming values, the hope remains that the jumps in planning and implementation will take place in good time to ensure the safety and efficiency of our transport network.