Dresden
Demolition and cleanup work is progressing smoothly after the partial collapse of the Dresden Carola Bridge. “We are working very hard and under time pressure,” said Michael Klahre, a fire department spokesman, this morning. Work continued without interruption through the night. “We are making pretty good progress.”
The goal is to complete the cleanup by Sunday. “If the water level continues to rise and this area is flooded, we can no longer work here,” Klahre explained, referring to expected flooding on the Elbe River.
Part of the Carola Bridge, which crosses the Elbe River near Dresden’s old town, collapsed Wednesday night. No one was injured. The collapse affected the so-called C Bridge, which had trams running on it and had pedestrian and cycle paths.
Traffic passed over the nearby bridges A and B, which are still standing. According to Klahre, test drilling is currently being prepared in parallel with the demolition of the bridge section C to determine how the part works. The cause of the collapse will also be investigated. Scaffolding will probably be erected for this purpose.
Arrival of the recovery tank “Büffel”
On Friday evening, two Bundeswehr “Büffel” armored recovery vehicles arrived at the scene to provide assistance. He was grateful for that, Klahre said. “We are driving here as soon as we can see.” If the water level rises, the equipment may have to be withdrawn. The ground is already wet from the rain and the equipment could stop. “That’s why the Bundeswehr’s assistance is so important.”
“The Bundeswehr was asked to support the civilian population here with rescue and demolition operations through administrative support procedures,” said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Habermann, a spokesman for the Bundeswehr in Saxony. “We immediately rushed to the scene with about 30 soldiers from central Germany.”
The Bundeswehr provides support when civilian technologies fail.
Habermann said that if there is an accident involving civil engineering demolition, the job is to get there immediately and prevent injuries. For example, one of the excavators could start to sway due to weather and ground conditions, fall over or slip on the footbed. “We do everything humanly possible to prepare for every scenario that could happen here,” Klahre said.
According to the Bundeswehr, the 1,500-horsepower “Buffalo” can lift 30 tons with a crane system. The chassis is identical to that of the Leopard 2 main battle tank and can clear obstacles and remove dirt. It can also cross water.
Floods expected on the Elbe River
According to the State Flood Center, the Elbe River is expected to reach alert level 1 at the Schöna gauge on Saturday evening, and in Dresden early Sunday morning. “The water level will continue to rise very quickly up to alert level 3,” the experts said. The highest water levels on the Elbe River in Saxony are expected from Wednesday and Thursday next week.
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