Rottenbuch - It's done: after four and a half years of construction, traffic is back to running over the newly renovated Echelsbacher Bridge.
On Sunday, the release was celebrated on site in a small setting.
The originally planned community festival was canceled due to the corona situation, but around 40 invited guests came together for the opening of the bridge. Around 20 curious visitors also gathered around the area, which was cordoned off with construction fences, in which 2G was strictly controlled. One of them is Josef Maier. The Bayersoier was already in the starting blocks in lederhosen to be the first to drive over the bridge with his Vicky, a cult moped from 1953.
But first it was the turn of the keynote speakers. It all started with Stefan Scheckinger. The head of the state building authority in Weilheim emphasized the relevance of the structure. “The bridge connects the people who live in two districts.” He thanked everyone involved that everything went “according to plan, budget and accident-free” and looked with satisfaction at “the piece of engineering”.
Alexander Dobrindt, who was still present at the groundbreaking ceremony as Federal Transport Minister in 2017, spoke of a “monumental structure” that could be seen as the “Golden Gate Bridge of the Oberland”.
According to the CSU member of the Bundestag, it is anything but self-evident that the basic substance would be preserved in such renovations.
The preservation of the old bridge construction is all the more special.
Dobrindt saw the around 36 million euros that were necessary in total well invested: “The bridge is a landmark;
a symbol for our region. "
A challenging construction project
“It is a sublime and proud feeling to stand here and hand over the bridge to its destination,” said Christoph Prause, head of the “Bridge and Civil Engineering” department at the Weilheim State Building Authority, very satisfied with the result. From the planning phase until today, the construction site has always been a challenge.
First, when traffic was supposed to be maintained through the makeshift bridge. Then in winter 2018/2019 when the workers were forced to an eight-week construction shutdown due to the masses of snow. Corona also messed up the construction project. Because suddenly workers from Austria or Poland could no longer simply enter Germany. The supply chains for the building materials were also affected by restrictions from the pandemic. "It wasn't an easy and short-term project," said Prause. There were 65 building inspections - one every two weeks or so - during which every tiny detail was discussed in detail. "It is a regional construction project with supra-regional importance," said Prause. This can also be seen in the great interest shown by the local population and tourists.Numerous groups, school classes and around 3,900 other people took part in the construction site tours offered.
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As a five-year-old Josef Achmüller - now 96 - witnessed the opening of the building.
© Gallmetzer
One of them was Josef Achmüller, who was invited to the celebration as a guest of honor.
As a five-year-old boy he experienced the opening of the bridge up close and remembers it well: “I was allowed to ride on the float,” the 96-year-old proudly thinks back to this unique event.
The Wildsteiger later worked as an employee of a road construction company when the bridge was being repaired.
“The last time was definitely 40 years ago.” Nevertheless, even with the current renovation, he always kept an eye on the construction site and kept asking about the progress.
That mostly stayed within the time frame. Delays due to various influences were largely made up for, so that the construction site ended up taking only ten weeks longer than initially planned. However, work on the Ammer Gorge has not yet come to the end. Because the first dismantling work on the temporary bridge has been underway since Monday. From February onwards, dismantling will begin, which should be ready in autumn 2022. The renaturation of the area is to follow in spring 2023. "The interference with nature will no longer be noticeable," promised Prause. The information pavilion planned by the neighboring communities should be ready in the summer of next year and then finally a big party should take place.
Most recently there was the blessing of Pastor Josef Fegg and Pastor Bettina Mogk.
"We too have to overcome cracks and trenches and have to build bridges," encouraged Fegg.
Mogk's words went in the same direction.
Because it is not only necessary to build bridges, but also bridges between people: between Christians and Muslims, between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not been vaccinated.
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Cheered and cheered on by the festival guests, Josef Maier roared over the newly opened bridge with his Vicky.
© Gallmetzer
When the barrier tape was cut and the boats carried away, Josef Maier's big moment finally came.
There was a lottery ticket from those in charge and he was the first to dash across the newly opened bridge with his Vicky with a loud cracking exhaust.
