Oberrabenstein viaduct being repaired
At its meeting today, Chemnitz City Council decided to repair the viaduct in Oberrabenstein.
The viaduct, which is currently used as a pedestrian bridge and hiking trail, is in an unsatisfactory condition. The city of Chemnitz is responsible for the viaduct's road safety.
The rear abutment was repaired in 2009/2010. However, no maintenance work has been carried out on the rest of the structure. After 122 years of service life, appropriate measures are urgently needed, particularly on the steel framework.
An inspection of the structure in April 2017 revealed that all components were rusted, in some cases almost rusted through, due to the virtually non-existent corrosion protection.
The parapet and cornice stones are also damaged and weathered. Some stones are loose or missing.
The severely damaged components of the steel framework are to be replaced and the other components blasted. The steel framework will then be given new corrosion protection.
For this purpose, it is necessary to completely enclose the suspended scaffolding to protect the environment. Road traffic below the bridge will therefore remain largely unaffected.
In addition to its significance as a tourist attraction, the structure is also an important technical monument and must therefore be preserved in its original condition.
In future, the viaduct will also be usable for cyclists, with a planned usable width of 3 metres and a railing height of 1.30 metres. The current height of the railings is not permitted for this purpose.
There are also plans to illuminate the structure with four LED spotlights in the dark in future to make it more attractive to tourists.
The construction work is scheduled to begin in June 2020 and is expected to be completed in November 2021 after a construction period of around 18 months. The work will also continue in winter.
The costs total 1.89 million euros. The state of Saxony is providing a fixed subsidy of 1.5 million euros from the former GDR party assets.