Bridge closure once again: Total count of closures rising - how high will it go? - Another bridge closure reported - what's the tally this time?
Aging Bridges Continue to Pose Threat: Another Closure in Hessen Raises Safety Concerns
Bridges in the region of Hessen have been unexpectedly closed due to the imminent risk of collapse, most recently affecting residents in the Odenwald district — both a major road and the railway line beneath it were shut down. This incident raises concerns about the safety and stability of bridges across Hessen.
Determining the overall condition of bridges in Hessen is not straightforward, as the responsibility for motorway, federal, state, and county bridges, as well as railway bridges, falls upon various entities — the federal government, the state of Hessen, and Deutsche Bahn.
Inspecting Motorway Bridges
Recent data from the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), evaluated by the German Press Agency, shows that Hessen has the second highest number of motorway bridges with traffic flow and a length of at least 50 meters that have been rated poorly. A total of 19 bridge structures in Hessen have this status, as per expert assessments with condition notes of 3.3 or lower. North Rhine-Westphalia leads with 21.
The federal agency categorizes six rating ranges based on damage levels and wear signs. Ratings between 3.0 and 3.4 indicate a not sufficient condition. Among the eleven motorway bridges in Hessen with a rating of 3.5 are significant structures like the Lemptal Bridge near Ehringshausen and the Tal Bridge Bechlingen near Aßlar (both in the Lahn-Dill district), as well as the Thalaubachtal Bridge near Thalau and the Tal Bridge Welkers near Eichenzell (both in the Fulda district). Interchanges and junctions often host poorly rated bridges.
Examining Federal, State, and County Road Bridges
Bridges on federal, state, and county roads in Hessen are generally in good condition, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport in Wiesbaden shared. As of now, approximately 5,400 such bridge components in Hessen require repair, including minor jobs such as railing replacements. Of these, 235 bridges require immediate or short-term repair, with 94 on federal roads, 92 on state roads, and 49 on county roads. Additionally, there are 12 measures planned to address bridges with statistical problems.
Investigating Railway Bridges
Deutsche Bahn has been allocating significant resources to the upkeep and renewal of its bridges, with future investments also planned due to the high technical renewal need. All 2,122 railway bridges in Hessen are regularly inspected. The second-oldest railway bridge in Germany, the Nied Railway Bridge over the Nidda in Frankfurt, was last refurbished in 2008. Some bridges require complete demolition and rebuilding, like the two 19th-century structures in Kassel, set to be replaced by the end of 2023. A similar situation arises for the Deutschherrn Bridge in Frankfurt, where a new bridge over the Main is scheduled to be built in coming years, aiming to minimize disruptions to train traffic.
Closure and Detour in Bad König
The Talbrücke at Zell, a district of Bad König, was closed in both directions towards the end of April, following a bridge inspection. The bridge is now deemed unsafe for use, and its demolition is imminent, as announced by Autobahn GmbH. Consequently, trains of the Odenwald Railway are no longer allowed to pass under the bridge, with Vias announcing the temporary suspension of train service between the Groß-Umstädter district of Wiebelsbach and Erbach. Buses have taken over until further notice.
Drivers of cars and trucks must navigate a 20-kilometer detour, although many opt to bypass the detour by cutting through Zell. Local residents express frustration, with one resident stating, "This could take years. We're already going crazy." The scenario in Bad König mirrors a 2021 incident in Wiesbaden, where concrete chunks fell from the Salzbachtalbrücke onto the federal road below, leading to the bridge's closure and subsequent isolation of the city.
HesseInfrastructureOdenwaldWiesbadenCollapse dangerFrankfurtBad KönigGerman RailwayGerman Press AgencyNorth Rhine-WestphaliaNRWCounty RoadRailway Bridge
- The community is concerned about the safety of bridges in Hesse, as indicated by the recent closure of a bridge in Odenwald and the assurance that other structures may require vocational training in bridge maintenance.
- In the field of science, an increased focus on the study of aging infrastructure, such as bridges in Hesse, could lead to improved vocational training programs for professionals tasked with maintaining these structures.
- For individuals with medical-conditions that may be aggravated by frequent detours due to bridge closures, it's crucial to have access to accurate information and proper arrangements for their commute and overall well-being — this could be a matter of finance, lifestyle, and education-and-self-development.
- As the fate of bridges in Hessen, such as the Talbrücke in Bad König, raises questions about general-news worthy safety concerns, it's important for local media outlets, like the German Press Agency, to keep citizens informed about the status of their infrastructure and the measures taken to address it. Moreover, sports teams in Hesse, like the Frankfurt Eintracht football club, may need to consider alternate routes for player transportation during the renovation of the bridges.
