Ailing Agra Bridge near Leipzig to be shored up

A supporting structure is currently being erected on the dilapidated agricultural bridge south of Leipzig. According to the State Office for Road Construction and Transport, the auxiliary supports should be installed by the beginning of March. Securing the 357-metre-long bridge should ensure that the structure can continue to be used - until demolition begins in 2027.

The bridge from the 1970s consists of 17 individual spans, each of which is to be held in place by 12 supports. The material for this is currently being delivered to Saxony from Europe. The structure will continue to be continuously monitored during assembly. The total costs for shoring up the bridge amounted to around 2.2 million euros.

Demolition and new construction by 2031

From 2027, the western bridge section will be demolished and replaced, followed by the eastern section from 2029. The new construction should be complete by 2031. The Ministry of Infrastructure estimates the costs at around 50 million euros. They will be borne by the federal government. Federal Highway 2 runs over the bridge.

Hennigsdorf steel like the Carola Bridge

The Agra Bridge was built in 1976 and contains so-called Hennigsdorf prestressing steel - a material that was also used for the collapsed Carola Bridge in Dresden. In order to relieve the strain on the structure, only vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons have been allowed to cross the bridge since mid-November. According to the ministry, around 30,000 vehicles cross it every day.