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Safe and on schedule: The construction of the Salzbachtal Bridge

Gap in the A66 near Wiesbaden 75% closed

On 31 January 2023, the third advance of the southern bridge over the Salzbach valley near Wiesbaden took place. © PORR

The Salzbachtal Bridge in Wiesbaden, a 304 m long, four-lane motorway bridge on the A66, had to be demolished and rebuilt as a result of the loads from the disproportionate increase in heavy traffic and age-related damage. ARGE PORR / Plauen Stahl Technologie was commissioned with the replacement construction of the Salzbachtal bridge. The contract includes the construction of two steel composite bridges with six reinforced concrete piers and four abutments as well as a reinforced concrete bridge over the single-track Aarltal railway. In addition, three rainwater retention basins, which will be integrated into the new drainage system, are being constructed. The foundation work was carried out by PORR subsidiary Stump-Franki Spezialtiefbau. The dimensions and noise protection of the new motorway bridge already take into account the later planned six-lane expansion of the A66. The final spurt now begins for the advance of the south bridge.

From the accident to the demolition

Due to the accident of the south bridge in June 2021, the demolition of the two partial structures of the Salzbachtal bridge took place simultaneously by means of blasting. Together, PORR Ingenieurbau and Reisch Sprengtechnik mastered all the technical and organisational challenges of the special situation with flying colours in trusting coordination with the federal motorway company Autobahn GmbH. Less than an hour after the Salzbachtal bridge was blown up, the clean-up work began. The debris, about 15,000 tonnes of demolition material made of concrete and steel, had to be crushed and transported away. For this purpose, 17 heavy track excavators and three large wheel loaders arrived at the same time. The goal: to clear the construction site as quickly as possible for the work on the railway tracks, the federal road and the construction of the new motorway bridge.

Advancing the southern bridge over the Salzbach valley: the final spurt is underway

Just a few weeks after the demolition, work began on the new bridge. The replacement construction consists of two partial structures, one for each directional carriageway. The southern superstructure is being built in four sections. The advance of the first two bridge elements of the south bridge went safely in September and November 2022. On 31 January 2023, the third shifting took place. In precision work and at a snail's pace, at around 10 metres per hour, the steel section weighing around 940 tonnes was pushed in over a distance of around 82 metres. 245 of the total 300-metre stretch have thus been bridged. This milestone went smoothly, safely and on schedule. This heralds the final spurt for the new south bridge: the fourth and final shift is scheduled for April 2023.

Focus on schedule reliability

The A66 connects the Rheingau-Taunus district and the two state capitals Wiesbaden and Mainz with Frankfurt am Main via the Main-Taunus district and is one of the most important traffic arteries in Wiesbaden. The Autobahn GmbH of the Federal Government gives top priority to schedule reliability. All those involved in the construction are working energetically and at full speed to complete the construction project so that traffic can soon be moving again on and under the bridge. The realisation is within the demanding schedule that has been in force since the demolition

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