A day after the partial collapse of Dresden’s Carola Bridge, it is now clear that the entire damaged bridge will have to be demolished. Work begins today. The threat of flooding is making the situation even worse.
Preparations are underway for the demolition of the collapsed Carola Bridge on the Elbe River in Dresden. Just after 7 p.m., the technical rescue organization Bundeswehr and specialist companies began work on the Neustädter side. According to fire brigade spokesman Michael Klahre, they had to first disconnect the live parts of the bridge. At around 9:40 p.m., the tram tracks were cut and a district heating pipe connection was blown up. Hundreds of people watched from both banks of the Elbe.
The actual demolition began immediately. Simone Prufer, head of road and civil engineering, said the sagging bridge C had to be demolished, broken up and removed using special equipment. There is not much time left for emergency rescue. The danger will be significantly worsened by the expected flooding of the Elbe River from Sunday.
B Church suffered damage
The middle section of the bridge, section B, was also damaged by the collapse. The force of the collapse and the resulting movement of the superstructure caused significant damage to parts, Simone Prufer told the city council meeting on Thursday afternoon. It is still unclear what happened to the A train. The crossbeam between the trains was torn off and the common pillars were also moved. Construction mayor Stephan Kühn does not assume that cars will be able to drive on the bridge again. He talks about a complete replacement. Kühn estimates the cost at 100 million euros. The city will need support from the state and federal governments.
The bridge part cannot be caught
Dresden fire brigade spokesman Michael Klahre told a news conference at noon that a thorough investigation had concluded that it was impossible to salvage Bridge C. “Even the parts that are now lying on the bridge pillars and bent can no longer support it.”
Cars under the Carolina Bridge must go
Safety work on the bridge at risk of collapse began Thursday night. As announced by the city administration, experts have built so-called trestles under the bridge support points on the Neustadt side to support the structure. According to fire department spokesman Klahre, this is to safely remove vehicles still parked under the bridge before the impending flood and possible demolition over the weekend.
Carolina Bridge Collapses Wednesday
Part of the Carola Bridge, which is usually used for trams, fell into the Elbe River about 100 metres (320 feet) long on Wednesday night. There were no injuries, according to authorities.
The entire area around the bridge will be closed to traffic for the time being, and the Elevator itself will be rerouted. Also, as announced by the fire department, drone flights around the bridge are prohibited from Thursday.
Hypothesis about the cause Bridge collapse
According to city authorities, chloride corrosion could be the cause of the collapse. Reinhard Koettnitz, former head of Dresden’s road and civil engineering department, expects a long-term investigation into the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge. Koettnitz told MDR that many files will have to be studied to assess the damage and determine the cause. It could take years before trams can cross the bridge again.
MDR(Ben)/AFP
