Salier bridge open again after renovation – SWR Aktuell

At the official opening of the 600 meter long bridge on Wednesday, a symbolic black, red and gold ribbon was cut. The bridge was then reopened to traffic in the afternoon. After the opening, pedestrians and cyclists initially cavorted on the Salier Bridge, which connects Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. With around 28,000 vehicles daily, it is one of the most important traffic arteries in the region. However, an examination prior to the renovation had shown significant deficits in the load-bearing capacity. For this reason, the regional council had commissioned extensive renovation and upgrading work, which began in early 2019.

Pedestrian and cycle path on the Salierbrücke now safer

According to the Karlsruhe Regional Council, the bridge has now become safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Before the renovation, the footpath and cycle path had been separated on both sides with low concrete borders. The steel crash barriers now installed prevent cyclists from falling onto the roadway in the event of a fall. Also, they are slimmer. The cycle path and footpath are wider because the bridge railing is now mounted on the side and not on the bridge as it used to be. There is a total of 25 centimeters more space on each side.

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Salier bridge important for retail

The reopening of the bridge is a happy day for the Speyer retailers in particular, because especially in the run-up to Christmas it is worth a lot that customers from the Baden side can find their way back to Speyer without any major detours, said the chairman of Speyer retail, Thomas Armbrust. In the first year of the bridge closure in Christmas sales 2019 – even before Corona – a significant drop in sales of 20 to 25 percent was felt. Now business owners are hoping it picks up again.

No bridge party at the end of the renovation

Actually, there should be a big bridge festival from the Speyer side, with a red carpet and all the fanfare. But nothing came of it. The Karlsruhe Regional Council, which is responsible for the renovation, has prohibited a large celebration. The bridge should be opened to traffic as soon as possible. Instead, Speyer celebrates with a few invited guests on a small scale.

Bad surprises during the renovation

There were always surprises during the renovation. Above all, surprising pollutants were found. In the beginning, workers sawed concrete blocks with heavy equipment. However, it contained substances that were ignited by the heat from the cutters. Some workers were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation. So it was clear: This work will be much more complex.

Renovation much more expensive

The renovation effort was particularly high on the concrete part of the Salier Bridge on the Baden side. The concrete was reinforced and roller bearings replaced with new steel and rubber bearings. Devices were also attached to the concrete pillars – for special presses. With these, the roadway can be raised by a few centimetres, so that bearings can be replaced much more quickly in the future.

In addition, the traffic junction of the B39, where drivers turn towards Altlußheim, was completely rebuilt. There had often been traffic jams here in the past.

Bridge renovation costs more than 28 million euros

The total costs had increased from the original 16.7 million euros to around 28.7 million euros, partly because of the pollution and additional reinforcement work on the roadway. Traffic was diverted to the surrounding streets during the renovation.

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