Ahead of Schedule: Swift Deconstruction of Dresden's Carol Bridge
Accelerated Progress of the Carolabridge undertaking. - Bridge demolition could happen earlier than expected
Step aside, White Fleet! The City Hall's latest announcements signal that the demolition of Carol Bridge's leftover debris won't halt the fleet parade, ferrying traditional ships down the Elbe, on Thursday as initially planned.
Turns out, the structural monitoring system hasn't detected any alarming vibrations in the remaining intact sections of the once towering bridge.Without the need for an interruption, the demolition crew can continue shattering the shattered bits of bridge section C from Wednesday morning onwards.
Heavy-duty excavators, weighing 38 to 50 tons, work tirelessly, chipping away at the hanging middle parts of the damaged section at ground level. The demolition process involves erecting steel tube auxiliary supports first, before the meticulous task of dismantling the cantilever arm and deck of the hollow box. As both sides go under the knife, the debris will be ruthlessly crushed, only to be reused later.
Fellow bridge sections A and B’s superstructures are sitting pretty for now, as tram railings and overhead mast supports are progressively dismantled and secured. Work on auxiliary structures using well rings as supports for the land-based bridge portions continues parallelly.
Remember that turn of events back on September 10, 2024, when the western traffic lane of the Elbe crossing suddenly surrendered to gravity, toppling over approximately 100 meters? Since then, the old GDR times' structure has stood deserted and fragile — at a palpable risk of collapse due to additional fractures in the prestressed steel construction. The stability of the remaining debris is under constant scrutiny, with navigation restrictions in place.
With the summer fast approaching, Dresden's city council is gearing up to make a decision on Carol Bridge's replacement, favoring a swift, contemporary reinstatement of the Elbe crossing.
- Dresden
- Debris
- Demolition
- White Fleet
- Elbe Crossing
The debris from Carol Bridge, shattered remnants of Dresden's landmark, will no longer hinder the passage of the White Fleet on the Elbe, as demolition proceeds ahead of schedule from Wednesday morning. With Dresden's summer upon them, the city council is eager to decide on a contemporary replacement for the Elbe Crossing, ensuring its expeditious restoration.
