FROM THE ROAD.

Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos

Over the weekend, a motorway bridge in the Rahmede Valley in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany was blown up. It was certainly no ordinary explosion. According to Michael Schneider, the bomb technician, the Rahmede viaduct was the highest bridge ever blown up in Germany, after the Rinsdorf viaduct, which was blown up in 2022.

The bridge weighed an impressive 17,000 tonnes, was 70 metres high and over 400 metres long. Although it was still standing, this viaduct had not been used since the end of 2021 due to its poor condition, which did not guarantee its safety.

The citizens of the village near the viaduct all gathered to watch the demolition of the bridge. German sources report that a house nearby was also damaged by the force of the explosion.

ANSA foto
Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
Over the past weekend, a motorway bridge in the Rahmede Valley in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany was blown up. It was certainly no ordinary explosion. According to Michael Schneider, the bomb technician, the Rahmede viaduct was the highest bridge ever blown up in Germany, after the Rinsdorf viaduct, which was blown up in 2022.
ANSA foto
Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
The bridge was the second highest ever blasted in the German country. In fact, this viaduct, on the A45 motorway, was a good 70 metres high, more than 400 metres long and weighed 17,000 tonnes. In addition, the slope of the terrain posed a huge challenge for the chief bomb-maker, Michael Schneider.
ANSA foto
Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
This bridge, built between 1965 and 1968, had not been accessible since 2021 due to its poor condition. As much as 150 kg of explosives were used for its demolition.
ANSA foto
Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
Although the demolition of the Rahmedetal bridge was successful, there was damage to a nearby residential house. The roof was damaged and partially covered by the shock wave, reports wa.de. According to the report, work has already started to repair the damage. The house is still habitable, but it is not yet clear whether the owners will have to be accommodated elsewhere for the time being.
ANSA foto
Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing was pleased with the demolition of the Rahmedetal Bridge. "It is an impressive experience. You can see that the masses have come this far. You felt the shock wave, but it is also impressive how precisely the demolition was carried out. I am happy for the population, this is a message of hope. It was a milestone, now we can move forward,' said the FDP politician. This refers to the construction of the new bridge planned for the coming years.
ANSA foto
Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
The first thing to be done now is to remove the scrap metal from the old bridge. This will almost certainly take until mid-June. Only then can the construction of the new bridge begin. Very importantly, about 90 per cent of the bridge scrap will be recycled. The concrete will be further processed and the steel will be melted down. "Everything is part of the cycle," says Michael Neumann, A45 project manager at Autobahn GmbH.
ANSA foto
Unsafe bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
The demolition procedure was very precise and impeccably executed. The bridge was demolished at 12 noon, but as early as 9.30 a.m. workers with dogs searched the area to make sure it was clear. Thermal drones were also deployed. Meanwhile, public viewing of the event began in the city centre of Lüdenscheid. Many sound signals were broadcast in the minutes leading up to the demolition, including the sound of a mock explosion to scare off the birds still perched there.
ANSA foto
Dangerous bridge gets blown up in Germany, photos
Plans for the construction of the new bridge, which will take the place of the one that has just been demolished, are already underway. Most likely, the new construction will also have a new name and, according to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing in an interview with WDR, the citizens of the region themselves, who have suffered severe inconveniences since the former bridge was closed, may have the opportunity to choose it.
Informativa ai sensi della Direttiva 2009/136/CE: questo sito utilizza solo cookie tecnici necessari alla navigazione da parte dell'utente in assenza dei quali il sito non potrebbe funzionare correttamente.