Major Dresdner Platz project: Waisenstraße and Dresdner Straße open to traffic on Friday - traffic will be able to use four widened lanes in future
Around EUR 25 million was invested in the ambitious large-scale project to remodel Dresdner Platz and Waisenstraße in Chemnitz, including the replacement of the overpass structure over the Deutsche Bahn AG railway lines
One of the most challenging and complicated construction projects in the city of Chemnitz, the replacement construction of the Dresdner Platz bridge / reconstruction of Dresdner Platz, will be opened to traffic on Friday, 20 December 2013: With the opening of Waisenstraße and Dresdner Straße - planned from 9 a.m. - traffic on the B169 and B173 federal roads can once again flow unhindered and now on four widened lanes. According to the city's civil engineering department, the planned deadline was therefore met.
At the same time as this major urban project with an investment volume of almost 25 million euros was being realised, the Chemnitz junction was also being rebuilt by Deutsche Bahn AG. This meant that the new bridge over the DB facilities could only be built during precisely coordinated construction windows, in some cases at night. The work by both contractors was carried out in very close coordination and was completed on schedule. Despite major technical challenges, all difficulties were overcome and all mutually agreed deadlines were met over the total period of four years. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with DB AG and the construction companies involved, both measures were successfully realised. The construction companies commissioned for this major project are Hentschke Bau GmbH and STRABAG AG.
Preparatory work for the construction of the new Dresdner Platz bridge began at the start of 2010. The demolition of the old bridge structure and the replacement construction of the new road overpass (Dresdner Platz bridge) was carried out while maintaining two lanes of traffic on Waisenstraße / Dresdner Straße and pedestrian traffic on Sonnenstraße / Dresdner Straße. For traffic on the B169 and B173 trunk roads on Waisenstraße and Dresdner Straße, a local temporary bypass with a temporary bridge over the DB AG railway tracks was built directly north of Waisenstraße. After the temporary bypass went into operation, the old Dresdner Platz bridge was partially demolished in order to create a free interim railway line for the reconstruction of the DB AG Chemnitz junction. The old bridge structure was then completely demolished at the end of 2011.
Construction of the new bridge began in March 2012. The eastern foundations with abutments were constructed first, followed by the western foundations from August 2012. This was followed by the construction of the superstructure consisting of precast composite elements and in-situ concrete additions. The precast composite girders were completed on site in field factories. In mid-December 2012, the last of a total of 68 precast composite girders for the bridge at Dresdner Platz was laid during a night-time shutdown of the DB facilities. The in-situ concrete additions to the nine bridge segments were then completed in spring 2013.
Traffic was able to cross the new Dresdner Platz bridge for the first time in summer 2013, limited to two lanes. The temporary bridge could be dismantled from the time the lanes were switched to the new superstructure, while the new replacement bridge was completed and the necessary media laid at the same time. The final main construction work was completed with the road markings, the installation of the traffic lights and the traffic sign bridge.
Remaining work, greening and tree planting in spring 2014: Due to the low temperatures in some areas, not all of the work has been completed to date. This remaining work will be completed in spring 2014. This concerns the facing of the retaining wall on Waisenstraße, the construction of the footpath link between Sonnenstraße/Dresdner Platz and Freiberger Straße and parts of the property fencing. In order to continue these remaining works, the connection to Sonnenstraße will remain closed to traffic.
The landscaping and tree planting will also take place in spring 2014 as planned.
The total costs of the project amount to around 24.8 million euros; the estimated budget for this major project is being adhered to.
The construction project was supported by a 90 per cent subsidy from the Free State of Saxony for the main construction work.