Lüdenscheid - Work for new Rahmede bridge on A45 on schedule
The gap high above is still gaping, below it there is a lot in motion. The Rahmede viaduct on the Autobahn 45 in Lüdenscheid has been history since May 2023, interrupting the important north-south axis. The structure, which was in danger of collapsing and had therefore been closed since the end of 2021, was spectacularly blown up on 7 May. The rubble of the colossus, which weighed around 17,000 tons and was up to 70 meters high, was then removed, cleared and grubbed up. "Work on the new Rahmede viaduct is going according to plan," said a spokesperson for the Westfalen branch of Autobahn GmbH recently.
In the summer of 2023, a consortium consisting of Habau, MCE and Bickhardt Bau was awarded the contract for a new bridge and began setting up the construction site in September. "The construction roads are taking shape," was an interim report from Autobahn GmbH in November. The new structure is being planned in detail, with up to 1,000 individual plans expected, many of which have to go through an approval process. The bridge project on eight pillars on a steep slope is considered to be extremely challenging.
Everything has to be done as quickly as possible, because the lack of a bridge on this important link throughout Germany has serious consequences. Lüdenscheid and the region have been hit hard by traffic jams, noise and exhaust fumes, disruption to delivery traffic, loss of sales and a brain drain. However, the mood has brightened somewhat following the introduction of the ban on trucks passing through in mid-June 2023 and the start of construction at the beginning of October, according to the city of Lüdenscheid. "Even though the traffic situation is of course still very stressful." After all, a number of major events such as the city festival or company run in 2023 were held without any traffic problems.
In order to reduce heavy goods traffic for Lüdenscheid and neighboring regions in the future, an AI solution is to help control the ban on through traffic. The Düsseldorf Ministry of the Interior withdrew police forces in October due to the Middle East war and deployed them to protect Jewish institutions. A fully automated system now presented by Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) gives "hope for a further improvement in our difficult traffic situation", said Lüdenscheid's mayor Sebastian Wagemeyer (SPD). As a 24-hour monitoring system, it appears to be able to provide efficient relief. The system is designed to record license plates and compare them with a list of those authorized to drive through - and those who are not authorized are turned back.
In 2024, a committee of inquiry in the NRW state parliament will continue to look back at the bridge disaster. Looking ahead at the construction site: In two and a half years, the first section of the structure in the direction of Frankfurt should be completed. Then, from mid-2026, traffic, including trucks, will be able to move again in both directions on two narrowed lanes, said the spokesperson for Autobahn GmbH. "The entire bridge should be ready by the end of 2027." Mayor Wagemeyer, the ombudsman appointed by Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) for the bridge construction, will be kept constantly informed about the progress of the work.
The citizens' office could also serve as a model for future major projects, according to the office. "Sensible communication and good involvement of people can lead to projects being perceived more positively and with greater acceptance right from the start." The bridge builder's office is funded by the federal government. Incidentally, the bridge is to be given a new name - residents can submit suggestions.
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Source: www.stern.de
