Lacking Unfinished Motorway Bridges Found in Saxony - Bridges along Saxony's highways deemed suitable for use.
Stable Condition of Saxony's Highway Bridges
None of Saxony's highway bridges are in a poor state of repair, according to an analysis by the Federal Association for the Maintenance of Concrete Structures. This assessment was based on data from the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt).
Of the 155 highway bridges in Saxony with a minimum length of 50 meters, each one received a rating of at least 2.9, indicating a sufficient condition. A majority, around 70 percent, of the bridges are categorized under the range of 2.0 to 2.4, signifying a satisfactory condition, while 19 are rated as good and 5 as very good. No bridges fall into the two lowest categories of 3.0 to 3.4 (insufficient) and 3.5 to 4.0 (inadequate).
When compared to the rest of Germany, Saxony's highway bridges fare well, with over 10 percent of the nationwide evaluated bridges rated as insufficient or inadequate, mostly in North Rhine-Westphalia (21) and Hesse (19).
The responsibility for bridges on federal and state roads lies with the Free State. According to the State Office for Road Construction and Traffic, around 90 percent of the 2,514 structures are in very good to sufficient condition. However, 77 bridges on federal roads have a rating of 3.0 or worse, while 174 are affected on state roads.
Following the partial collapse of the Dresden Carol Bridge, Saxony is conducting special inspections on 19 structures, regardless of their previous rating, as they were built with Hennigsdorf prestressing steel, which can be susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. Results from previous inspections include the months-long closure of the Elbe Bridge on the B172 in Bad Schandau, which has been open to traffic up to 7.5 tons since April, and the demolition of the railway bridge on the B101 near Großenhain last December.
Background
The condition of Saxony's highway bridges is generally more positive compared to concerns about infrastructure in other regions of Germany. More than 70 percent of the bridges surveyed in Saxony are rated between 2.0 and 2.4, indicating a satisfactory to good condition. Saxony's findings are in contrast to widespread challenges in Germany's aging and underfunded infrastructure, including bridges, roads, and railways.
While Saxony has delays in completing major highway projects, these are not unique, as similar issues are reported in other states, including North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Hesse. Both NRW and Hesse boast highly trafficked and industrially significant areas but struggle with managing the volume and age of their bridge inventory, leading to high numbers of bridges requiring urgent repairs or having load restrictions.
- To address the varying conditions of bridges within the state, Saxony's community policy could consider the implementation of vocational training programs for bridge maintenance personnel, ensuring they are well-equipped to maintain the bridges' health-and-wellness.
- As medical-conditions, such as stress corrosion cracking, are potential threats to the durability of certain bridge structures, scientific research is necessary to develop more resilient materials for vocational training programs in bridge construction and maintenance.
