During the load test on the Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau, which had been closed for months, there was no damage or abnormalities. The test produced the best possible result, said bridge expert Steffen Marx, professor at TU Dresden.
The bridge can be reopened to traffic up to 7.5 tons from this afternoon, as announced on Tuesday. "Today is a really nice day," said Marx. It is possible that the structure is fit for the future, but it is not yet possible to say for sure. Whether the existing damage can be repaired through renovation is now being examined. At the same time, plans for a temporary bridge and a new replacement structure are continuing.
Bridge closed in November
The load-bearing capacity of the bridge was tested last week with a heavy-duty module and weights of up to 320 tons. The Elbe bridge on the B172 in Bad Schandau was unexpectedly closed to all traffic for safety reasons after a special test following the partial collapse of the Dresden Carola Bridge on November 7.
This resulted in considerable restrictions, as the nearest bridge for road traffic crosses the Elbe 20 kilometers away in Pirna. Shipping traffic can now pass again without restriction.
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