Salzbachtal bridge - Freeway bridge near Wiesbaden open to traffic again
The southern section of the new Salzbachtal bridge on the autobahn 66 (Rheingau-Frankfurt) in Wiesbaden has been officially opened. Traffic has been rolling over the new bridge since Monday afternoon at around 4.15 pm. In both directions, traffic will be guided over two narrow lanes until the second part of the bridge is also completed in 2025.
The old Salzbachtal Bridge, which was around 300 meters long, was blown up on 6 November 2021. A few months earlier, in June 2021, the dilapidated structure had to be closed for safety reasons after chunks of concrete fell onto the Bundesstraße 263 below. This meant that the autobahn 66 between the Rheingau and Frankfurt was interrupted. Around 80,000 vehicles a day had previously been counted at this point. The bridge closure led to major traffic obstructions in the western Rhine-Main region.
With the opening, an important milestone has been reached and traffic in the Rhine-Main metropolitan region has been relieved, said Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) at the opening on Monday. This sends a good message. "It shows that we can build modern and efficient bridges quickly, even under difficult conditions." Wissing spoke of a top performance project. "An impressive structure of the highest technical standard has been created here, which can cope with traffic safely and reliably."
Hessian Transport Minister Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens) was also pleased that traffic can once again roll over the bridge. He emphasized the importance of investing in infrastructure. "Because we have really seen here in Wiesbaden what can happen when something that you thought would always be there suddenly stops working."
The total cost of the new building is around 225 million euros - 146.4 million euros had been budgeted in 2018. The highway company cited the general rise in construction prices as the reason for the cost increase. According to Autobahn GmbH, the northern section should be completed by mid-2025. Traffic will then run on three lanes in both directions.
Autobahn GmbH on the new construction project
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The new Salzbachtal bridge, situated in the Rheingau region near Wiesbaden, was constructed on the autobahn 66, connecting Rheingau to Frankfurt. Volker Wissing, the Federal Transport Minister, commended the project as a top performance, demonstrating the ability to build modern infrastructure under challenging conditions. The completion of this bridge relieves traffic in the Rhine-Main metropolitan region. Construction costs surpassed initial estimates due to rising construction prices, with the northern section expected to be completed by mid-2025, allowing for three lanes of traffic in each direction. This significant infrastructure development in Hesse, like the Salzbachtal bridge, highlights the importance of investing in modern infrastructure.
Source: www.stern.de
