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Zeller Bridge: Tracks finally free after spectacular demolition!
The Zeller Bridge in the Odenwald was blown up; Rail traffic starts on August 18th. Clearance work and new construction follow.
Zeller Bridge: Tracks finally free after spectacular demolition!
What a day for traffic in the Odenwald! From Monday, August 18th, the Odenwaldbahn will be running continuously again. After the Zeller Bridge was blown up on July 30th, everything is ready for rail operations to resume. The tracks were cleared of rubble that had fallen onto the railway line after the blasting. As the Frankfurter Rundschau reported that the bridge had to be closed since May 14th due to the acute risk of collapse.
Initially, spatial planning was necessary for the demolition. On July 29, the 116-meter-long bridge was brought down using 44 kilos of explosives in a carefully planned procedure that required a safety zone of 250 meters. A total of 33 residential units were evacuated. The Hesse show reports that the bridge had previously been impassable since April 2023 due to cracks in the concrete and that around 15,000 vehicles rolled over it every day.
Removal of bridge rubble
The construction company immediately began clearing the rubble so that the track is now free of rubble again. Vias, the executing company, will carry out test drives and transfers in the coming days to ensure that everything is operational. It is expected that approval from Deutsche Bahn (DB) will be granted in the coming days. Frankfurter Rundschau reports that the clearance work, which was actually planned by mid-September, is now expected to be completed by the end of August - good progress!
New construction of the Zeller Bridge
The new construction of the Zeller Bridge will also be exciting. The tender documents have already been published, and companies have until the beginning of November to submit their offers. The aim is for the planning and construction to be awarded to one and the same company. The bridge itself is part of the bridge modernization, which is absolutely necessary in Germany due to the high number of older bridges and increasing traffic loads. The Federal Minister for Transport explains that the strategies for bridge modernization should also include the networking and security of transport systems in Europe.
After all, a modern transport system is of great importance not only for the Odenwald, but for the whole of Germany. The new bridge will not only look good, but will also make an important contribution to traffic safety and infrastructure.