Bridge chaos in Hesse: valley bridge near Zell closed due to risk of collapse!

Bridge chaos in Hesse: valley bridge near Zell closed due to risk of collapse!

In Hesse, the dilapidated infrastructure is increasingly becoming a problem. Bridges often have to be closed at short notice due to the acute risk of collapse. Most recently, this affected the valley bridge near Zell, Bad König, which was closed to both car traffic and the railway line running underneath. The bridge crosses the Mümling and was closed to cars at the end of April due to cracks that significantly affected the statics. The cracks were discovered during a routine inspection, which will now result in the bridge being demolished. Odenwaldbahn trains between Wiebelsbach and Erbach are now being replaced by buses that run every half hour.

Before the closure, the bridge was used by around 15,000 vehicles every day, which placed a considerable burden on traffic in the region. The diversion now leads via Vielbrunn and Michelstadt, which requires a detour of 20 kilometers. However, many drivers ignore the diversion, and trucks also drive through Zell illegally. The city has already announced that it will introduce increased traffic controls and speed limits to regulate through traffic.

Infrastructure problems in Hesse

Overall, Hesse is affected by a large number of dilapidated bridges. Loud Süddeutsche.de The federal state has the second highest number of poorly rated motorway bridges in Germany, only North Rhine-Westphalia has more. Of the 19 motorway bridges in Hesse, 19 have a condition rating of 3.3 or worse. The classification is based on various condition grades, with values ​​between 3.0 and 4.0 being considered insufficient to insufficient.

What is particularly worrying is that among the eleven motorway bridges with a grade of 3.5, some include the Lemptal Bridge (Ehringshausen) and the Bechlingen Valley Bridge (Aßlar). However, the condition of federal, state and district roads is described as good. In total, there are around 5,400 partial bridge structures in Hesse, of which 235 need to be repaired at short notice.

Investments and necessary measures

There is a great need for technical renovation of railway bridges in Hesse. There are a total of 2,122 railway bridges that are regularly inspected. Deutsche Bahn is planning higher investments in their maintenance. One example is the Nied railway bridge in Frankfurt, which was last renovated in 2008. Demolitions and new buildings are also on the agenda, including the new construction of the Deutschherrn Bridge in Frankfurt next to the old bridge.

The closure of the valley bridge near Zell and the associated traffic problems once again illustrate the challenges that Hesse faces with regard to the dilapidated infrastructure. While preparations for the demolition of the bridge begin, the question of a sustainable solution for the affected residents and road users remains open.