After bridge closure: Elbe ferries in Bad Schandau free of charge

After the sudden closure of the Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau, three Elbe ferries can be used free of charge until further notice. This is intended to improve the tense situation for commuters and local residents, announced Michael Geisler, District Administrator of the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district.

People can use the F3 and F4 ferries between Bad Schandau and Krippen/Postelwitz and the F5 line between Bad Schandau and the national park railway station free of charge. The ferries already run more frequently. Work is also underway to extend the ferry times. Visitors to Saxon Switzerland should use buses and trains if possible to relieve the traffic situation.

Closed for safety reasons

The Elbe bridge was closed on November 7 for safety reasons. This was preceded by a special inspection following the partial collapse of Dresden's Carola Bridge. This had revealed an acute need for action for the bridge on the 172 federal highway in Bad Schandau. Like the Carola Bridge, the structure is made of prestressed concrete.

The bridge has been completely closed since then - for cars, buses, pedestrians, cyclists and ambulances. It is unclear when and to what extent it can be used in the future. Further investigations should provide clarity by the end of the year.

Section of the Elbe closed to shipping traffic

The bridge closure has also had an impact on shipping traffic on the Elbe - it has had to be suspended for the time being. Specifically, the section between the landing stage of the water police and the Bad Schandau railroad bridge is closed, according to the Elbe Waterways and Shipping Office.

A total of 20 bridge structures in Saxony are in the spotlight

In addition to the Carola Bridge, a further 19 bridges in Saxony are in the spotlight and are currently being inspected. This concerns bridges of a similar design - so-called prestressed concrete bridges in which Hennigsdorf prestressing steel was used. It is considered susceptible to corrosion. According to the authorities, the bridge in Bad Schandau has what is known as an under-tensioning band, where longitudinal cracks have occurred.