The state of numerous motorway bridges is deemed insufficient.
Germany's motorway bridges are in a concerning state, according to data analyzed by construction experts. A whopping 43 bridges over 50 meters long are in a "deteriorated" condition, as per an analysis by the Federal Association for the Maintenance of Concrete Structures. This implies that their structural integrity or traffic safety, or both, are seriously compromised or no longer assured.
Politicians and the Federal Highway Authority need to take action, suggests Marco Götze, chairman of the Federal Association. "Especially with motorway bridges, we can't afford to wait for the next accident like the partial collapse of the Carolabridge in Dresden," he remarks.
The Federal Association has identified 3,786 motorway bridges of at least 50 meters in length with the poorest condition ratings across the country. The investigation was based on the bridge statistics regularly published by the Federal Highway Research Institute.
Most dilapidated bridges in NRW
Among the 100 bridges with the worst ratings and a length of at least 50 meters, the most are found in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg. These states, along with Lower Saxony, have the most motorway bridges overall.
The rating is based on condition notes that indicate acute damage and signs of wear. There's also the so-called load-bearing index, which evaluates the bridge's performance capacity based on its age and material.
Of the 3,786 motorway bridges with a minimum length of 50 meters, 1,382 have received the condition rating of "still sufficient", while 378 have been rated as "not sufficient". Every fifth of Germany's 100 most severely affected motorway bridges is in NRW.
Bridge builders face lack of orders
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing presented a package of measures for faster bridge modernization in March 2022. Over the past decades, many bridges have shown signs of wear and tear, particularly due to increasing heavy traffic. In the coming years, 400 bridges are to be renovated each year. Notably, the motorway bridge Rahmede on the Sauerland line (A45) became famous due to severe damage and was later demolished. A new construction is planned.
However, there's criticism from the construction industry about the implementation of Wissing's plans. "His bridge booster is not running at full capacity. We're currently only at half capacity," said Peter Hübner, president of the German Construction Industry Association, to the "FAZ". In his view, the lack of funds is to blame. "The federal government is not providing enough funds for planning and construction. You can see that every day: when the money is lacking, bridges are relieved of load and lanes are reduced, and traffic is redirected to where the bridge can still carry the highest loads."
According to the president of the builders, the construction industry itself could handle significantly more in the area of bridges. "Bridge builders have been suffering from a lack of orders for years. And the companies don't know how to proceed. How are they supposed to plan when the federal government announces that it will renovate or build 400 bridges a year, but only implements half of them," said Hübner. "The construction industry is not that flexible, especially when politics always says we should build more capacity. But those capacities need to be paid for."
The need for urgent repairs and maintenance of bridges and tunnels, particularly motorway bridges, is evident, given the concerning state of many bridges in Germany. The German construction industry is currently facing a lack of orders in the bridge-building sector, which could potentially aid in addressing the issue of deteriorating bridges and tunnels.
