Bridge Defects Slow Down Multi-Million Project in Pirna

The opening of the Pirna bypass—a major project costing millions—continues to be delayed. Defects were discovered on the Gottleubatal Bridge, a section of the new route, the federal government stated in a response to a parliamentary question in the Bundestag. The damage is attributed to a construction error during the concrete pouring process.

The affected areas are the so-called “vouten”—the widened structural elements at the transition between the bridge piers and the deck girders—which are crucial to the structure’s load-bearing capacity. According to the federal government, the costs of rectifying the defects will be borne by the companies involved in the construction. 

A spokesperson for Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH (Deges), which is overseeing the construction project on behalf of the federal government, stated that repairs this fall and winter would be difficult due to weather conditions. The work is therefore expected to take place next year. The opening of the bypass is thus postponed for the time being until 2027. The “Bild” newspaper was the first to report on this.

Costs Have Risen Significantly

The entire construction project is already facing criticism due to significant cost increases. While the cost estimate in 2017 was still 96.6 million euros, the federal government puts the cost in 2025 at 288.4 million euros. Among the reasons cited are difficulties in construction, changes and expansions to the scope of work, and general increases in construction costs.

The completion date has also been postponed several times. Originally, the bypass was supposed to be completed as early as 2022, the federal government announced. Due to geological conditions in the area of the Kohlberg Tunnel, the deadline was initially moved to 2023. Adjustments to the construction plans for the Gottleubatal Bridge subsequently necessitated a further postponement to 2026. Completion is now targeted for 2027. 

The 916-meter-long Gottleubatal Bridge spans the valley in Pirna at a height of up to 70 meters. It lies between Kohlberg to the west and the forested eastern valley slope. The bypass is intended to relieve Pirna of through traffic. In addition to the Gottleubatal Bridge, the construction project also includes the Kohlberg Tunnel.