The reconstruction of Dresden's Carola Bridge is set to begin in 2027 according to plans by the state capital. The construction work is expected to take around two and a half years, as the Mayor of Construction Stephan Kühn (Greens) and the Head of the Roads and Civil Engineering Office, Simone Prüfer, explained at a public information event at Dresden City Hall.
New replacement construction should save time
They did not give a date for completion - this depends on various points. "The big problem is the path to the award of the contract," said Prüfer. In order to shorten this, Kühn and Prüfer are aiming for a new replacement building.
In contrast to a completely new bridge, this would not require a time-consuming planning approval procedure. The structure could therefore be completed three to six years earlier. Adjustments such as wider cycle paths that comply with current legal requirements, a reduction in the number of lanes for car traffic or a construction method with two instead of three bridge sections would be possible with this variant.
City council decision pending
In order to start with the concrete planning - such as awarding the project to a planning office - the city council must first make the decision for the replacement construction without a planning procedure, explained Prüfer. The vote is planned for the next meeting in June.
Kühn rejects Genoa comparison
Kühn rejected comparisons with the replacement of the bridge that collapsed in 2018 in Genau. "I ask for your understanding that we will not be able to replace the bridge in two years because the conditions in Genoa were completely different," said Construction Mayor Stephan Kühn at the public information meeting.
The Italian president declared a state of emergency after the bridge collapse. There had been far-reaching opportunities to circumvent laws. The contract was awarded directly to a consortium of two state-owned companies that worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "We don't have that in Dresden," said Kühn. However, the fastest possible way is being taken.
Bridge closed since partial collapse
The western traffic section of the Carola Bridge collapsed unexpectedly on the night of 11 September 2024 over a length of around 100 meters. It has been closed ever since. The parts that are still standing are also considered to be in acute danger of collapse. According to the latest information from the city, the demolition of the collapsed bridge section C is almost complete. The removal of bridge strands A and B is therefore "in fine tuning".
Copyright 2025, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
