Baden-Württemberg reaches through: Security for bridges before new building!

Baden-Württemberg reaches through: Security for bridges before new building!

In response to the dangers caused by the use of heavy goods traffic on bridges, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport has announced massive security measures. In particular, bridges with a construction similar to the recently collapsed carol bridge in Dresden are the focus. Of the approximately 2,500 bridges in the Freiburg region, 35 bridges have been identified as endangered. In addition, an increase in the review frequency for these buildings is implemented to three years instead of six years to recognize potential security risks at an early stage, such as Stadtanzeiger-ortenau.de reported.

concrete measures to reduce the cargo

The Freiburg regional council has already started to reduce the traffic load on 31 of these bridges by spacing the distance for trucks. For example, truck columns on the bridges are to be held from each other by a minimum distance requirement of 50 meters. This affects 20 bridges, while additional measures such as tonnation restrictions or lanes are required for heavy traffic on another eleven bridges. Engineers will also continuously check the sensitive point of the buildings in order to recognize possible dangers through fatigue and overload in good time, as can be seen from a recent report by BAST

These necessary requirements for maintaining security are of crucial importance, since they are introduced to a forecast doubling of heavy goods traffic by 2050. The focus on the maintenance and renewal of over 38,000 federal motorway bridges and their security standards should not only prevent damage, but also ensure the long -term durability of these infrastructures.