The Elbe federal waterway in Saxony will be fully navigable again for commercial vessels without passengers from next Monday. The navigation channel is free, and passage under the Dresden Carola Bridge, which partially collapsed four months ago, is possible under certain rules. "Up to and including February 17, this is only possible with advance notification," said Karsten Wild from the Dresden Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA). After that, passage will be regular, but on weekday mornings and afternoons in one direction at a time. During the first three weeks, data will be collected on the condition of the bridge under traffic. Passage upstream of the dilapidated Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau, which has been closed since November 2024, is already possible on request.
First paddle steamers have already sailed through
The White Fleet has already been granted an exemption in advance. "It had been registering trips for a long time because ships have to get to the shipyard as early as possible to prepare for the season," said Wild. As the engineers who monitor the Carola Bridge also agreed, "Augustus the Strong" was the first ship in over four months to glide under it again on Tuesday, followed by four historic paddle steamers, each with only the crew on board.
The western traffic line of the Carola Bridge collapsed unexpectedly on the night of 11 September 2024 over a length of around 100 meters. Since then, the two remaining trains of the pre-stressed reinforced concrete structure from the GDR era have been closed and shipping has also been interrupted. The White Fleet operated downstream and upstream from the closed section with limited capacity, while inland shipping was suspended. Demolition of the affected bridge section has been underway for weeks.
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