Viaduct, Horb

PORR Germany have been awarded the contract for the construction of the Horb viaduct section of the B32 federal highway over the Neckar Valley as part of a bidding consortium, the Civil Engineering and Special Foundation Engineering divisions. The contracting authority is the Karlsruhe Regional Council of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The B32 federal highway represents an important section of the B28-B32-A81 interregional west-east axis. This axis runs from Offenburg to the A81 motorway and connects the Freudenstadt district to the federal motorway network.

Massively improved traffic flow

In Horb, the B32 currently runs from the B28/B32 interchange down to the city centre and back up to Nordstetten, creating a large amount of traffic congestion. In future, through traffic will be able to drive over the new Neckar Valley Bridge, avoiding the city centre completely.

Impressive dimensions

Overall, the contract involves the construction of a 667-metre-long viaduct. The bridge structure, which will be up to 90 metres high including the pylons, features a six-span continuous girder design. The bridge has five piers, of which the three central piers are designed as pylons that extend above the carriageway in a V-shape, with each of the adjacent spans braced with stay cables. The foundation of the piers will primarily be constructed using large bored piles with a diameter of 1.5 metres and a length of up to 40 metres. The total value of the contract is around €113 million. Work on the “Neckar Valley Viaduct" will start in 2023. The bridge is scheduled to open for traffic in 2026.

Animated overview

This Youtube video by Karlsruhe Regional Council gives an impressive, animated overview of the entire project.