Enlarge image
Rahmede Viaduct: No vehicles are allowed to cross here regularly
Photo:
Kay-Helge Hercher / dpa
A dilapidated Rahmede viaduct on Autobahn 45 near Lüdenscheid in North Rhine-Westphalia has to be demolished.
As a result, the car traffic on the important traffic axis between the eastern Ruhr area and Frankfurt cannot be reopened as planned, as the responsible Autobahn GmbH of the federal government announced.
According to Elfriede Sauerwein-Braksiek, Head of the Westphalia branch of Autobahn GmbH, cracks were found on the side members in addition to the damage that had already been discovered.
For this reason, no vehicles are allowed to drive over the Rahmede viaduct.
After the demolition, a new bridge will be built in the same place.
“We'll then build the new bridge at full speed.
We hope that it will be there in five years, ”says Sauerwein-Braksiek.
The bridge should be released again after a few months
The damage was discovered at the beginning of December 2021 during an inspection during the course of the new construction planning for the bridge between Lüdenscheid and Lüdenscheid-Nord.
The NRW Ministry of Transport then said that a concept for diversions was needed quickly, because: "The Sauerland line is a lifeline for everyone in South Westphalia."
Autobahn GmbH originally planned to be able to reopen traffic to cars again after around three months after a makeshift reinforcement of the bridge.
The A45 is an important axis from the Ruhr area to southern Germany in the direction of Frankfurt.
Bridges have been renovated or built on the route for years.
The full closure at Lüdenscheid had caused chaotic conditions on the diversion routes.
For the more than 450 meter long bridge, which was built in 1968, there had been plans for new construction for a long time.
ptz / dpa