Elster valley bridge in Vogtland renovated at a cost of millions

After more than four years of extensive construction work, the renovation of the historic Elster Valley Bridge in Vogtland has been completed. The more than 170-year-old structure is considered the second highest brick bridge in the world and spans 270 meters over the Weiße Elster near the Pöhl dam. The structure has now been completely renovated and shines in new splendor, Deutsche Bahn announced. The costs for the renovation were estimated at around 60 million euros.

The 68-metre-high bridge has two levels and is used for train traffic on the Leipzig-Hof and Gera-Plauen lines. It was built between 1846 and 1851. Twelve million stones were used to build it. The structure is the little sister of the nationally renowned Göltzschtal Bridge. According to the railroad, however, it had reached the end of its useful life, meaning that renovation was necessary. The main work began in August 2021. In the meantime, rail traffic was running on a single track at a restricted speed, and there were also closures at times.

Around 36,000 bricks replaced

During the refurbishment, a new deck was built along with new tracks, overhead lines and points. For the renovation of the brickwork, the listed building disappeared behind huge scaffolding. Around 36,000 bricks were replaced in the process - during ongoing operations. According to Deutsche Bahn, the replacement bricks were made according to historical models.