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Transport route engineering

Extensive asphalt work around the new construction of the Haarbach Valley Bridge

Aachen, / Transport route engineering

The record-breaking completion of two bridge structures on the A544 motorway near Aachen impressively demonstrates how large infrastructure projects can be efficiently realised through innovative construction methods and precise traffic concepts. On behalf of the responsible construction company AMAND Bau NRW, the PORR branch in Düren carried out, among other things, the complete reconstruction of the road surface for the Haarbach Valley Bridge and the neighbouring bridge ‘Auf der Hüls’.

The image shows a scene from road construction. In the foreground, a large yellow roller compactor is compacting the freshly laid asphalt. The machine is marked with red and white warning stripes. Behind it, an asphalt paver can be seen laying the surface on the road, while a lorry delivers material. Several people in high-visibility vests are working on the construction site and supervising the process. To the left and right of the new carriageway are unpaved areas that will also be developed later. In the background, green hills and trees stretch out under a slightly cloudy sky. Along the construction site, red flags and measuring rods mark the survey points necessary for the precise execution of the work.
© PORR
Extensive asphalt work was carried out on the Haarbach Valley Bridge and the neighbouring bridge ‘Auf der Hüls’, during which over 19,000 m² of road surface was renewed.

Construction of two replacement structures under full closure

The Haarbach Valley Bridge, built in 1956 between the Aachen-Rothe Erde and Würselen junctions, was demolished in January 2024 due to extensive damage and replaced by a 157-metre-long, almost 32-metre-wide steel composite bridge. To avoid another full closure during future renovation work, two separate superstructures, each with two lanes, were built. The neighbouring ‘Auf der Hüls’ bridge, which is around 35 metres long, also had serious safety defects. It was therefore dismantled at the same time and also rebuilt.

PORR Verkehrswegebau commissioned with asphalt and milling work

PORR Verkehrswegebau used around 8,600 tonnes of (t) of AC 32 TS asphalt base course, around 7,300 tonnes of AC 22 B SG asphalt binder course and around 3,300 tonnes of SMA 8 S asphalt surface course. As part of the renewal and refurbishment of other bridge structures, PORR Verkehrswegebau also carried out milling work and installed binder and surface courses over an area of around 18,500 square metres.

‘It was impressive to be involved in a project where teamwork, precision and innovative processes made such a short construction period possible,’ says Rolf Klöcker, branch manager of PORR Verkehrswegebau Düren.

Thanks to clever construction logistics, intelligent traffic management and an innovative method for inserting the Haarbach Valley Bridge, completion was achieved in less than 20 months instead of the originally estimated 22 months. The so-called ‘Aachen model’ is to serve as a blueprint for future bridge construction projects. The superstructures were inserted using remote-controlled self-propelled modular transporters and then lowered hydraulically to their final height. As the deck slabs were already in place as semi-finished elements, there was no need for time-consuming formwork.

The image shows a scene from road construction. In the foreground, a large yellow roller compactor is compacting the freshly laid asphalt. The machine is marked with red and white warning stripes. Behind it, an asphalt paver can be seen laying the surface on the road, while a lorry delivers material. Several people in high-visibility vests are working on the construction site and supervising the process. To the left and right of the new carriageway are unpaved areas that will also be developed later. In the background, green hills and trees stretch out under a slightly cloudy sky. Along the construction site, red flags and measuring rods mark the survey points necessary for the precise execution of the work.
The photo shows a large-scale road construction site where several machines are in operation at the same time. The focus is on two green asphalt pavers with yellow protective roofs, working side by side to lay fresh asphalt on the new road surface. On the right-hand side of the picture, a lorry is standing by to deliver more material. On the left-hand side, the prepared but not yet asphalted road surface is clearly visible. In the background, dense rows of trees frame the construction site, while a cloudy sky accompanies the scene.
The photo shows a road construction site on an elevated track, presumably in the area of a bridge or dam. In the middle is a wide, unpaved strip of gravel, while asphalted lanes are already visible on the right and left. On the right-hand side, a yellow roller is compacting the freshly laid asphalt. Behind it, other construction machines are in operation. In the background, several construction cranes tower into the sky. The sky is slightly cloudy but sunny, providing good working conditions. Red survey markings are placed along the edges of the road to assist in the precise execution of the work.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Sarah Render

Unternehmenskommunikation / Deutschland
+49 89 71001-475
presse@porr.de