- Damaged Hunte Bridge: Successful use of secondary bridge
The repair of the railway bridge over the Hunte river at Elsfleth in Wesermarsch district is progressing. A floating crane installed the new bridge section. The installation of the approximately 58-ton, 24-meter-long bridge section took just over an hour. "So far, everything is going according to plan," said a railway spokeswoman. The Hunte was closed to inland shipping during the installation.
On July 23, an inland ship collided with the railway bridge. The bridge house of the tank ship was almost completely destroyed. The railway bridge and the overhead line were damaged. Initial investigations suggest that the ship's captain underestimated the clearance height, and he is being investigated for endangering rail and shipping traffic.
Train traffic over the bridge has been suspended since then. The closure affects passengers and ports on the left bank of the Weser in Brake, Nordenham, and Oldenburg, which rely on this connection. The damaged structure is a temporary bridge, as an inland ship had already collided with the regular railway bridge in February. According to the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, a working group has agreed to draw up a catalog of measures to improve safety at the Hunte bridge to prevent further accidents.
The closure has significant economic consequences for the region. Goods can no longer be transported by rail, and rail passengers must switch to alternative means of transport.
"The bridge installation is a milestone towards the resumption of traffic," said the spokeswoman. However, it will still take several days before the first trains can run over the bridge again. First, the tracks, overhead lines, and signaling and safety equipment must be installed and connected. The work is expected to be completed by August 24.
The weather on March 23, when the new bridge section was installed, was surprisingly calm and clear, aiding the floating crane's operations. Unfortunately, a similar situation back in February resulted in another collision with an inland ship, causing damage to the regular railway bridge.
