Opening of the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Bridge to traffic
On Thursday, 16 April 2020, the Karl-Schmidt-Rottluff Bridge (Kaßberg approach) will be reopened to traffic during the course of the day. The last remaining work was carried out, such as the joint construction in the cap area (cap/balustrade), the marking and signage as well as the final clearing of the construction site equipment.
In a construction period of just under two years (construction began on 24 April 2018), the bridge, the stairs on Fabrikstraße and the retaining wall (out of town on the right) were completely renovated, taking into account the protection of historical monuments. The bridge had to be fully closed to traffic for the work.
The more than 150-year-old bridge (built in 1869) was given a very poor structural condition rating of 3.4 during the main bridge inspection in 2014, meaning that urgent action was required. As one of the main access routes to the Kaßberg district, around 4,000 vehicles travelled across the bridge every day in each direction, i.e. a total of 8,000 vehicles, including 400 cyclists. At peak times in 2015, a traffic count recorded 350 vehicles per hour in each direction.
The refurbishment included a general reinforcement of the bridge structure and thus a strengthening for possible future traffic loads. This means that the bridge is now also designed for lorry traffic with a higher tonnage than before or a possible tram line.
As part of the bridge renovation, the road section from Theaterstraße to Hohe Straße was also renewed. In addition, new lanterns were installed in the historic design (similar to the Bierbrücke). These have been fitted with contemporary lighting elements and a new power supply. A new passenger shelter - narrower than the previous one - was also built for local public transport.
Completion of the bridge and the Kaßbergauffahrt road section was postponed twice, as road construction and asphalt paving were delayed due to seasonal factors. Secondly, the construction work on the Karl-Schmidt-Rottluff Bridge proved to be much more complex than expected. For example, a retaining wall of the staircase had to be completely demolished and rebuilt. It was in a much worse condition than could be recognised on the surface. The old structures of the bridge's edge arches also had different dimensions to those visible from the outside. This only became apparent after the cladding of the structure was opened during construction.
The total construction costs will not be finalised until the final invoice has been issued and will amount to approx. 5.4 million euros. In 2018, the Chemnitz City Council decided to carry out the construction project - despite significant price increases in the tender results - and to provide an additional €2.5 million from the Investment Strengthening Act, including the necessary own funds.
Due to the restrictions imposed by the general decree on the coronavirus pandemic, it was unfortunately not possible to hold a formal release ceremony as originally planned.
Building Mayor Michael Stötzer: "We would like to thank the people of Chemnitz for their patience. We would also like to thank the planners and construction companies from the various trades for their work over the last two years. The fundamental refurbishment of old existing buildings is always a source of surprises and usually does not proceed as planned on a drawing board. But we have succeeded in restoring an engineering structure with a strong identity to its intended use using state-of-the-art technology and old charm."