STRABAG Leads Groundbreaking Bridge Shifting Operation for Rinsdorf Viaduct

STRABAG Leads Groundbreaking Bridge Shifting Operation for Rinsdorf Viaduct

(IN BRIEF) STRABAG and Bickhardt Bau AG are leading an innovative operation to shift the Rinsdorf viaduct, part of the A45 bridge renewal project. The 40,000-ton section of the bridge will be moved 20 meters and 59 centimeters using a cutting-edge procedure never before seen on this scale in Germany. The operation, expected to take 20 to 30 hours, is part of the ongoing work to renew the Rinsdorf and Rälsbach valley bridges for Autobahn GmbH. While the area will be closed to spectators, a live stream and time-lapse video will be available online.

(PRESS RELEASE) WILNSDORF, 28-May-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — STRABAG, as the lead company of a bridge construction consortium, is accomplishing a technical milestone with the innovative lateral shifting of the Rinsdorf viaduct. The first section of the viaduct, weighing an impressive 40,000 tons – nearly twice as heavy as the MS Deutschland – will be shifted across the A45 motorway. This remarkable operation will take place on June 3 and 4, with the bridge, including its substructure and piers, moved closer to the second section, which currently carries A45 traffic.

“This transverse shift, including the piers, is an unprecedented procedure on this scale in Germany,” explains Elfriede Sauerwein-Braksiek, Director of the Westphalia branch of the highway authority. STRABAG AG and Bickhardt Bau AG, part of the consortium renewing the Rinsdorf and Rälsbach valley bridges for Autobahn GmbH, are responsible for this extraordinary technical feat.

The process begins with the first partial structure of the viaduct, which was initially constructed next to the original bridge, allowing traffic to continue uninterrupted. After the original viaduct was demolished three years ago, the second section was built in its place. Now, the first section will be shifted precisely 20 meters and 59 centimeters to the southwest, a process expected to take 20 to 30 hours. Preparations have included raising the six piers by around two centimeters and inserting Teflon plates between the skidway and foundations to reduce friction and allow the structure to move smoothly.

“From the very beginning, we made it clear that innovation must not compromise safety. We took a comprehensive approach to systematically identify and mitigate all risks,” says Sauerwein-Braksiek. Civil engineering experts were involved early in the planning phase to ensure the safety and efficiency of the operation.

Due to safety concerns and traffic flow on the L907 road below, there will be no spectator area or parking available for the public. The construction site will be fully cordoned off, and the cycle path leading to the viaduct will also be closed on June 3 and 4. However, the public can follow the shifting process live via Autobahn Westfalen’s YouTube channel, “Die Autobahn.” A time-lapse video documenting the operation will also be shared with the media after the shift is completed.

Background:
Year of construction: 1967
Height:71.9 m
Length: 485.5 m
Ground-breaking ceremony: September 2017
Blasting: February 2022
Special challenge: the bridge is in one piece and first a new structure had to be built next to the old bridge before the existing structure was blown up. After completion of the second part of the structure, the structure built in a lateral position, including the piers, will be moved crosswise.

Media Contact:

Angela Emmerich Klemmer
Press spokeswoman, Germany
+49 221 824-4025
pr@strabag.com

SOURCE: STRABAG SE