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Repaired in record time: Bridge over River Hunte open to traffic again

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    • Positioning parts of the bridge was a challenge.
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    10.05.2024

    On 25 February, a barge collided with the railway swing bridge over the River Hunte near Elsfleth, causing massive damage. The accident left passenger and freight trains unable to cross the river there. Now, just two months later, the bridge has been repaired and is open to rail traffic again.

    Repaired in record time thanks to close cooperation by everyone involved

    It was important to Deutsche Bahn to get the bridge repaired quickly and make the line between Berne and Elsfleth passable again, reconnecting the ports on the left bank of the Weser. "We worked hard to achieve this shared goal in close cooperation with policymakers, port operators, planning offices and our construction companies," said Ute Plambeck, DB Management Representative for Lower Saxony and Bremen.

    An engineering tour de force

    Heavy equipment such as floating cranes, pile-driving pontoons, dredgers and a jackup rig was used to dismantle the damaged bridge and erect a temporary structure. Dr Philipp Nagl, Chair of the Management Board of DB InfraGo, paid tribute to the outstanding cooperation that made such fast reconstruction possible at all: "My sincere thanks go to everyone involved. After the accident, they worked with exceptional dedication to restore this regionally important rail line as quickly as possible."

    Repair important for region

    The ceremony marking the reopening of the bridge and the rail line acknowledged the bridge's importance for the region and expressed appreciation for its rapid rebuilding. Restoring the improved accessibility to the ports of Nordenham and Brake was particularly important for rail freight transport.

    A section of the provisional bridge over the Hunte being put in place by a crane.

    Provisional bridge to make way for new one

    The temporary bridge cannot be opened to shipping traffic. Until a new movable bridge has been built, only ships that are low enough can pass beneath the temporary structure. This situation will not be permanent; a new swing bridge is already in the initial planning phase. A fast-track procedure is being considered to bring forward the start of construction and enable unrestricted navigation on the Hunte to resume as quickly as possible. Olaf Lies, Lower Saxony's Minister for Economics and Transport, also holds out this prospect. "This new bridge will come, and we're already working on it in a task force with all stakeholders so that these plans can now move forward quickly and construction can start much sooner," he said.