- The number of people who will be using a cold fire bridge in 2024 will be higher than in 2023 due to construction work.
The Köhlbrand Bridge in the Port of Hamburg is becoming more maintenance-needy. It has been and will be closed more frequently this year for repair and maintenance work than in 2023. Last year, workers were on site for five weekends each time for a 55-hour closure, and this is planned six times in 2024.
This is evident from an answer from the Hamburg Senate to a written minor interpellation by the CDU. Previously, the radio station NDR 90.3 had reported. The next closures are scheduled for August 17/18 and September 21/22 and 28/29.
The closures were already determined in 2023 based on a maintenance and repair plan. Thus, it has been clear for a long time when road surfaces and weld seams will be renewed, bearings will be replaced, structural parts will be cleaned and inspected, and pipes and drainage systems will be cleaned and inspected. New damages will be fixed immediately depending on their urgency.
No forecast possible for future closures
The Senate could not say how often the bridge will be closed for several days in the coming years. "A forecast of all closures until the end of the service life of a bridge over such a long period is generally not possible," it said.
The aging bridge must still hold up for about two more decades. Only then is the planned bridge replacement scheduled to go into operation. The start of construction for the approximately 20-meter higher bridge over the harbor is currently planned for the early 2040s. The reason for the new construction is not only the poor condition of the old bridge but also its clearance height of only 53 meters, which, according to the Senate, no longer meets the development of ship sizes. The new construction is calculated with costs between 4.4 and 5.3 billion euros.
Hamburg hopes for financial participation from the federal government. The old bridge, on which there are already restrictions for truck traffic, is to be demolished by 2046. The 1974 completed Köhlbrand Bridge is currently used daily by around 34,000 vehicles, including 12,700 trucks.
Written minor interpellation of the CDU
The Hamburg Senate's response to the CDU's written minor interpellation mentioned the NDR 90.3's previous report about the Köhlbrand Bridge closures. The NDR has reported on the upcoming closures on August 17/18, September 21/22, and 28/29.
Despite the NDR's coverage, the Senate was unable to provide a forecast for future closures, citing the impracticality of predicting bridge closures over such a long period.
