Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau - load test in April

A load test is to shorten the test period for the Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau, which has been closed since the beginning of November, by months. The bridge could be partially opened to traffic at the end of April or beginning of May at the earliest, if the results allow, said Steffen Marx, Director of the Institute for Solid Construction at the Technical University of Dresden. Car and light truck traffic up to 3.5 tons as well as special trips for buses could then be possible.

Standing safety is being tested experimentally

According to Marx, the test is scheduled for April. The load-bearing capacity of the bridge is to be tested with autonomously moving heavy-duty modules with continuously increasing loads. "We are therefore carrying out an experimental proof of stability," said Marx. This is only permitted under very special circumstances. "Normally you do something like this by calculation."

The load simulation should significantly shorten the test period. Reliable results - for example using the so-called acoustic emission method, which can also detect cracks in the prestressing steel that are not visible from the outside - would otherwise only be possible after several months, explained Infrastructure Minister Regina Kraushaar (CDU). Marx therefore suggested the load test to her last week in order to gain clarity more quickly. "We are now spending another 300,000 euros on this," said Kraushaar.

Bridge closed since November

The Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau was unexpectedly closed to all traffic on November 7 for safety reasons. This was preceded by a special inspection following the partial collapse of Dresden's Carola Bridge. Since Thursday, shipping traffic has been able to pass again without restriction. Henningsdorf prestressing steel is used in both structures. As the bridge in Bad Schandau was built immediately after the Carola Bridge using a similar construction method, it is similarly at risk of so-called stress corrosion cracking, which is considered to be the cause of the collapse in Dresden.

Makeshift bridge at the beginning of 2026 at the earliest

Planning for a makeshift bridge continues, however. Variants should be available at the beginning of March; options include converting the railroad bridge for car traffic or building a temporary bridge, either directly next to the closed bridge or separately, as Kraushaar said. Work on this is due to start this year. If all goes well, construction will be completed in early 2026, she said.