Outline of the new Salzbachtal bridge on A66 motorway now finished.

Vehicular Flow - Outline of the new Salzbachtal bridge on A66 motorway now finished.

During the construction of the entire Salzbachtal Bridge of Autobahn 66 in Wiesbaden, there have been significant advancements. The gigantic metal enclosure of the second, northern section of the bridge crossing the valley was moved forward for the last time on a Monday and Tuesday, as announced by the Federal Highway Authority on Tuesday.

This movement was for a distance of approximately 70 meters, from the final bridge column to the final retaining wall on the western slope. As a result, the new Salzbachtal Bridge is complete structural-wise. Now, tasks like installing concrete road plates, bridge edges, asphalt paving, and guardrails are to follow. The roughly 320-meter-long metal box weighs around 3,500 tons and has been shifted multiple times by the "sliding method" from the eastern support to the western one.

The construction work is still on schedule as per the Federal Highway Authority. The entire four-lane project with the two bridges over the Wiesbaden Salzbachtal is budgeted at 225 million euros. The southern portion of the new crossing of the A66 was opened in December 2023, and traffic has been running there since then on temporary, narrow lanes in both directions.

"Safety is our top priority in infrastructure"

In reference to the latest developments, German Federal Transport State Secretary Oliver Luksic (FDP) stated on Tuesday, "The maintenance and modernization of our road infrastructure is a top priority. We want modern, secure bridges all over the country - and as quickly as possible." The replacement of the dual Salzbachtal Bridge will aid "the citizens and the economy in the Rhine-Main region and beyond."

The original, roughly 300-meter-long Salzbachtal Bridge was blown up in November 2021. Before that, the deteriorated structure from the 1960s was closed for safety reasons as concrete pieces had fallen. The A66 between Rheingau and Frankfurt with approximately 80,000 vehicles per day was thus interrupted. This resulted in considerable traffic jams - with ramifications in neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate.

Read also:

1. The new Salzbachtal bridge, a key feature of the A66 motorway in Hesse, Germany, is now structurally complete after the second northern section was moved into place.
2. The mammoth metal enclosure of the bridge, weighing around 3,500 tons, was moved using the sliding method from the eastern support to the western one, even amidst heavy traffic in Wiesbaden.
3. The completion of the Salzbachtal bridge, which spans over 320 meters, is part of a larger four-lane project costing 225 million euros, with the southern portion already open to traffic since December 2023.
4. The replacement of the dilapidated Salzbachtal Bridge, which was blown up due to safety reasons in November 2021, is expected to improve traffic flow on the A66 motorway, reducing congestion and delays in both Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate.

• Tough return to normality in snow and ice
• Steinmeier joined a moment of silence - a legal battle over an AfD protest.
• German national soccer team on their way to participate in the European Championship qualifying matches.
• The flooding has lessened, but the aftermath of mud remains.