Wiesbaden
Salzbachtal bridge A66
Wiesbaden, Germany / 02.2019 - 06.2025
The Salzbachtal bridge in Wiesbaden, a 304m-long, four-lane motorway bridge on the A66, had to be demolished and rebuilt as a result of age-related deterioration and the loads from the disproportionately high increase in heavy traffic. A consortium comprising PORR and Plauen Stahl Technologie GmbH (PST) was commissioned to build a new bridge to replace the old one.
Facts & Figures
Company
consortium PORR / Plauen Stahl Technologie GmbH (PST)
Type
Bridge construction
Runtime
02.2019 - 06.2025
Demolition and reconstruction of a motorway bridge
Watch our videos about the project: |
The contract included the construction of two steel composite bridges with six reinforced concrete piers and four abutments, as well as a reinforced concrete bridge over the single-track Aarltalbahn railway line. In addition, three rainwater retention basins were constructed and integrated into the new drainage system. The foundation work was carried out by PORR Spezialtiefbau. The dimensions and noise protection of the new motorway bridge already take into account the planned six-lane expansion of the A66.
From the accident to the demolition
Due to the accident on the south bridge in June 2021, the two sections of the Salzbachtal bridge were demolished simultaneously by means of demolition. PORR Ingenieurbau and Reisch Sprengtechnik GmbH mastered all the technical and organizational challenges of this special situation with flying colors in close cooperation with Autobahn GmbH des Bundes. Clean-up work began just under an hour after the Salzbachtal Bridge was demolished. The debris, around 15,000 tons of concrete and steel demolition material, had to be crushed and removed.
Challenging construction site logistics: up to 250 truck movements per day
Seventeen heavy chain excavators and three large wheel loaders were brought in at the same time. The goal: to clear the construction site as quickly as possible for work on the railroad tracks, the federal highway, and the construction of the new highway bridge.
Opening of the south bridge
Work on the new bridge began just a few weeks after the demolition. The replacement structure consists of two sub-structures, one for each direction of travel. The first of four steel sections of the south bridge was inserted in September 2022 in a precision operation. At a slow speed of ten meters per hour, the 940-ton, 100-meter-long bridge section was pushed almost 80 meters across the valley. The other three steel sections followed successively. In December 2023, the southern Salzbachtal Bridge in Wiesbaden was officially opened.
Focus on schedule reliability
The A66 connects the Rheingau-Taunus district and the two state capitals of Wiesbaden and Mainz via the Main-Taunus district with Frankfurt am Main and is one of Wiesbaden's most important traffic arteries. Adherence to schedule was a top priority for the federal motorway company Autobahn GmbH. On August 1, 2025, the second new section of the Salzbachtal Bridge was ceremoniously opened to traffic.
