408 supports secure a dilapidated agricultural bridge near Leipzig

Work on the dilapidated agricultural bridge south of Leipzig is progressing. From this Friday, all traffic will be shifted to the eastern bridge span, as announced by the State Office for Road Construction and Transport.

A special support structure was erected for the new route. Within a short space of time, 408 supports were installed to additionally bear the load of the bridge from below and thus ensure its stability. The bridge was gradually placed on the new supports. According to earlier information, the total cost of this preliminary work amounted to around 2.2 million euros. The western section of the bridge will be closed until further notice.

Demolition and new construction by 2031

According to current plans, the western bridge will be demolished and replaced from 2027, followed by the eastern bridge from 2029. The new construction should be complete by 2031. The Ministry of Infrastructure has estimated 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.