Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport Affairs, Tarek Al-Wazir, Hessian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Housing, Anne Rethmann, Managing Director of Finance at Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, Gert-Uwe Mende, Lord Mayor of Wiesbaden, other representatives of Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, the project team and numerous members of the press attended the opening ceremony to mark the important project milestone of the opening to traffic. "With the opening of the first section of the new Salzbachtalbrücke motorway bridge, we have reached an important milestone and are noticeably relieving traffic congestion in the Rhine-Main metropolitan region," said Transport Minister Volker Wissing at the opening ceremony. "It shows that we can build modern and efficient bridges quickly, even under difficult conditions."
Civil engineering, steel construction and special civil engineering expertise work hand in hand
The project requires the seamless integration of engineering, steel construction and foundation engineering expertise. The new replacement construction comprises two steel composite bridges with a total of six reinforced concrete piers and four abutments as well as a reinforced concrete bridge over the single-track Aartal railway. In addition, three rainwater retention basins will be integrated into the new drainage system. 186 bored piles were used as foundation elements to safely transfer the high loads into deeper load-bearing soil layers. Thanks to the wide range of technical possibilities, several larger and smaller excavation pits were also produced for the new construction of the Salzbachtal bridge for the different construction stages of the motorway routes.
Deadline and work safety have top priority
Schedule reliability is the top priority for Autobahn GmbH des Bundes. The opening of the south bridge on schedule is therefore a great success for everyone involved. At the same time, and despite the fast pace of construction, occupational safety is a top priority on the construction site. "Since the South Bridge accident in June 2021, we have been working tirelessly towards this day. We have always pulled together with the client and the consortium partner. I am proud of the outstanding performance that our team has delivered here in Wiesbaden over the past few years," says Project Manager Markus Jahn.
