Friday, September 13, 2024, 11:20
Workers in the city of Dresden began early Friday morning to demolish the remains of the Carola Bridge, the central section of which collapsed unexpectedly on Wednesday without causing any injuries, but closing the road between the old and new parts of the Saxon capital. The individual elements of the viaduct were separated from each other in a controlled manner by means of small blasts with precision explosive charges, said Michael Klahre, spokesman for the fire brigade. The large concrete sections are being reduced with the help of pneumatic hammers and removed with excavators to clear the course of the Elbe as quickly as possible.
The section of the bridge that collapsed had a bicycle lane, a pedestrian crossing and two parallel lanes for municipal trams. The other section that remains standing, with a road for motor vehicles, had been renovated a year ago and remains closed to traffic. On Thursday it had already been announced that the demolition of the damaged part of the bridge was imminent and preparations for the complicated operation began. “Some 50 workers are working to remove the debris,” explained Klahre, who said that they use excavators, pneumatic hammers and debris-clearing vehicles from a specialist firm.
Laser measurements by experts had revealed that the sections of the bridge that had collapsed were on the verge of collapse, and a decision was made to ensure that the collapse occurred in a controlled manner. During the night, specialists from the Technical Emergency Service (THW) cut through the large pipes that supply hot water and heating to the city’s districts and that run under the bridge with controlled explosions. The Saxon Ministry of Finance and part of the regional government headquarters, which are located next to the bridgehead in the Neustadt district, were evacuated.
The removal of debris is being carried out urgently, as flooding is expected from Sunday due to the Elbe river rising due to the heavy rainfall that will occur from Friday and over the weekend in the region and in the neighbouring Czech Republic. Up to 200 litres per square metre are expected by Monday, and up to 350 litres in nearby mountainous areas. In addition to the Elbe, flooding is expected on the Lausitzer Neisse and Spree rivers.
The Carola bridge is made up of three parallel sections, each 400 metres long. Bicycles, pedestrians and trams used to travel on the collapsed section, section C, and cars used to travel on the other two, sections A and B. All three are connected by crossbeams. Section B was also damaged by the collapse. The restoration of the collapsed platform was due to begin next year, but it collapsed before then, presumably due to the corrosion of its structure.
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