The cause of the bridge collapse remains unknown. Even today, however, it is the subject of much speculation about the possibly poor quality work of those who assessed the state of the structure. “I don’t want to talk about failure. But the collapse is very surprising for a bridge that is so closely monitored and known to be damaged. This raises certain questions,” Tilo Wirtz (57), a qualified civil engineer and former city councilor, told Bild.
Regardless of the causes of the collapse, however, experts are very concerned about what the collapsed structure may cause when the Elbe’s water level is expected to rise. In Germany, due to the forecast of heavy rains, a flood of up to a thousand years is expected, while the collapsed bridge could greatly affect its course and spill water into the city. And not only in the current state, but also in the event of the predicted collapse of other parts of the bridge to the Elbe.
The original Carolabrücke was built as early as 1895. At the end of the Second World War, however, it was extensively damaged (after all, like most of Dresden).
Therefore, in 1967, work began on the construction of a new bridge made of prestressed concrete with only one pillar. Construction was completed in 1971. The bridge is a four-lane bridge with separate tram traffic and a path for pedestrians and cyclists. It is the part along which trams and cyclists travel that has collapsed into the Elbe in a length of 100 meters.
