The collapse of the Carola Bridge recently made headlines in Dresden. But things are also wrong in Baden-Württemberg.
According to data analysis by construction experts, some motorway bridges in Baden-Württemberg are in a questionable condition. Of Germany’s 100 most severely damaged motorway bridges, 16 are in Baden-Württemberg alone, according to an analysis by the Federal Quality Association for the Repair of Concrete Structures. This puts the state in third place in the negative ranking behind North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse – Bavaria follows in fourth place. However, these states, along with Lower Saxony, are among the federal states with the most motorway bridges overall.
Data from around 3,800 bridges
According to its own information, the Federal Quality Association has identified those that have the worst condition grades in Germany out of 3,786 motorway bridges with a length of at least 50 meters. The investigation was based on bridge statistics regularly published by the Federal Highway Research Institute. The rating is based on condition scores that indicate acute damage and signs of wear.
Dilapidated bridges in BW
A61:
- Bridge over railway and city street at the Hockenheim motorway triangle
A81:
- Kochertal Bridge in the direction of Heilbronn and Würzburg
- Brettachtalbrücke in both directions
- Eberbachtalbrücke in the direction of Heilbronn
- Talbrücke Dettensee in the direction of Singen
- Talbrücke Neckarburg in the direction of Singen
- Talbrücke Neckartal near Deißlingen
- Talbachbrücke in the direction of Singen and Stuttgart
- Brudertalbrücke in the direction of Singen and Stuttgart
A8:
- Leaning bridge Wettersbach
- Bridge over the Enz at the Pforzheim Ost junction in the direction of Stuttgart and in the direction of Karlsruhe
There is also the so-called load index, which evaluates the performance of the bridge based on age and material. According to the study, Baden-Württemberg comes in second place after North Rhine-Westphalia for this load index.
Politicians and the federal highway company must act now, said Marco Götze, chairman of the Federal Quality Association. “Especially when it comes to motorway bridges, we cannot rely on the next accident being as minor as the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden.”
Increased burden due to more freight traffic
According to the federal Autobahn GmbH Around 55 percent of all bridge structures in Germany were built before 1985reports the Tagesschau. In addition, the amount of freight and heavy goods traffic has increased enormously. “A single truck puts as much wear and tear on the road as many thousands of cars. And here the bridges suffer particularly,” tagesschau.de quotes Autobahn GmbH.
According to the Construction Industry Association, domestic freight transport performance by road, rail and water increased by 74 percent between 1991 and 2022. This and the insufficient maintenance investments in the past have led to a significant deterioration in quality, especially on federal transport routes, according to the construction industry.
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