After bridge collapse: Dresden clears Terrassenufer

After the collapse of the Carola Bridge around a year ago, the Terrassenufer in Dresden's Old Town is once again open to traffic without restrictions. "I think this is a great blessing for all road users in the city," said Dresden's Lord Mayor Dirk Hilpert (FDP) at the opening of the arterial road running parallel to the Elbe on Wednesday. Traffic times had been significantly extended due to the closure. Alternative routes had to be used.

"The analyses say that the journey time is four or five minutes longer, which is now a thing of the past," said Hilpert. This is a significant relief, especially in view of the expected Christmas tourism and Advent traffic in the city.

Renewed roadway and pavements

The bridge demolition had left its mark on the road. The roadway and sidewalks were renewed, the asphalt surface and markings were repaired, the lighting was extended and granite slabs and kerbs were reinstalled to make them safe for traffic, according to a statement from the city. The coach park directly on the Terrassenufer, which is also important for tourism, will be opened next Monday. Around 70 cars and 22 buses will then be able to park close to the city center.

The Elbe cycle path on the opposite side of Neustadt, which is currently still closed, should also be reopened by the start of the autumn vacations at the beginning of October, said Dresden's mayor for construction Stephan Kühn (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen). This will restore the traffic arteries to their original state.

Dismantling of the Carola Bridge completed

At the same time, the dismantling of the Carola Bridge has now been completed. "We have moved a total of 30,000 tons of concrete, 2,000 tons of steel and more than 25,000 tons of armourstones," said Kühn. There will be no further traffic restrictions in connection with the bridge collapse until construction of a new bridge begins.

The Carola Bridge - a prestressed concrete structure from the GDR era - partially collapsed on the night of September 11, 2024. No one was injured. The terrace bank had to be closed as a result. According to the city of Dresden, an average of around 20,000 motor vehicles drove there every day before the bridge collapsed.