As of: February 20, 2024, 2:46 p.m
By: Peter Sieben
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For years, massive defects on the A45 bridge went unnoticed.
This still has an impact on nationwide motorway traffic today.
Now completely different defects became apparent.
Düsseldorf/Hamm - Everyone who has a car knows the Rahmedetal near Lüdenscheid in North Rhine-Westphalia: at least since 2021. At that time, the completely dilapidated A45 bridge over the Rahmedetal was permanently closed.
Reason: massive structural damage, the bridge was in acute danger of collapsing.
A route that is important for nationwide traffic has been interrupted since then, an entire region is burdened by constant traffic jams, and the nerves of thousands of drivers are regularly frayed.
The bridge was blown up in 2023, but the problem is far from gone - quite the opposite.
To this day, state politics is preoccupied with the question: How could the bridge disaster that caused a stir throughout Europe come about?
And how can such a debacle be prevented in the future?
Dilapidated A45 Rahmedetal Bridge: Why was the damage never noticed?
The investigative committee in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament met again on Monday.
Details had already come to light there that left some MPs speechless.
Massive defects and damage had not been repaired for years.
Between 2017 and 2020, no impairment of the stability of the structure was detected.
Difficult to understand, because: In November, a civil engineer who took a closer look at the bridge in 2021 testified in the state parliament that numerous weld seams on the bridge had literally torn.
There was serious corrosion damage.
Rivets that ensure stability have completely rusted away.
Why was the fatal damage never noticed?
It has now become clear that communication between the responsible testing bodies is probably at least inadequate.
At least that's the impression you got from the statements of a witness called on Monday who was responsible for years as the lead structural inspector.
His job, among other things, is to examine the plausibility of the test reports from the engineers who inspected the A45 bridge.
Committee chairman Stefan Engstfeld (Greens) wanted to know what was happening with his investigations.
“If there was serious damage, I informed my superior,” said the witness.
“And then what exactly does he do with it?” Engstfeld asked.
“That’s my supervisor’s job.
“I don’t know what the further measures will look like,” said the building inspector.
“The Rahmedetal Bridge is not just any bridge, it is famous”
“Have you ever talked to your superior about the Rahmedetat Bridge?” Engstfeld asked.
He can no longer say that; he has hundreds of test reports on his desk every year.
Engstfeld asked again: “But the Rahmedetal Bridge is not just any bridge, it has become famous.
You're trying to remember again, aren't you?" He would have done that, but because he now has another job, he doesn't have access to the files.
For years, the Rahmedetal Bridge on the A45 had received a condition grade of 3 - which, according to the Federal Highway Research Institute, means that the structure is in inadequate condition.
FDP MP Christof Rasche wanted to know if that shouldn't have led to measures.
“If you get a grade of 3, you might take a closer look, but you don’t have to worry,” answered the construction expert.
The overall grade is made up of the criteria of stability, traffic safety and durability; even a faulty railing can lead to such a grade.
“This does not have to have any influence on the stability if the overall grade is 3.”
The SPD MP Gordan Dudas (left in the picture) in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament.
© Peter Sieben
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“Surprised” by the closure of the A45-Rahmedetal Bridge
SPD MP Gordan Dudas asked the witness whether he was surprised when the A45 bridge finally had to be closed.
His answer: “Yes, I was surprised.
That would be me at any bridge, you don’t expect something like that.”
NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) was NRW Transport Minister from 2017 to October 2021.
The opposition also wants to find out whether Wüst is responsible for the bridge disaster.
Wüst himself had denied personal failings during his term as minister.