On Tuesday, 10 June, work will begin on Annaberger Straße in the area of the Südring bridge to construct a track crossing over Annaberger Straße. This will prepare a bypass option that can be activated in the event that the Südring bridge needs to be closed at short notice.
The background to this is that the Südring bridge was subjected to a special inspection in May 2025 because its design is similar to that of the Carola Bridge in Dresden, which partially collapsed in September 2024. The initial results of the inspection report and recommendations for action are now available.
The most important finding is that the bridge is not at risk of collapse according to current knowledge. According to the expert's assessment, it is currently not necessary to close the bridge or impose any other restrictions (e.g. reducing lanes or speeds).
However, in order to be able to assess the existing damage more precisely, additional material analyses are required. The results are expected to be available at the beginning of August. The current recommendations and decisions will then be re-evaluated if necessary.
However, as selective material samples cannot provide an overall view, the expert recommended the installation of a sound monitoring system in order to detect any new cracks in the existing prestressing steel reinforcement. The City of Chemnitz will follow this suggestion and install the system in the near future.
In order to be able to react quickly to any changes in the assessment of the damage and implement any necessary closures or traffic restrictions at short notice, the above-mentioned bypass option is now to be prepared.
Construction of a track crossing on Annaberger Straße
If restrictions on the bridge become necessary, for example axle load restrictions for lorries, the two northern (city-side) ramps from Südring to Annaberger Straße are to be used as a bypass. On the one hand, this should buffer the traffic restrictions and, on the other, avoid overloading the rest of the city's transport network as far as possible.
To achieve this, it is necessary to build a crossing over the tram tracks on Annaberger Straße between the two ramps. From 10 to 20 June, CVAG will construct a track crossing in Annaberger Straße as a first step. During this period, one lane of Annaberger Straße will be closed for the construction work.
CVAG and City-Bahn Chemnitz will provide separate information on the necessary changes to tram services on line 5 and the rail replacement service on line C11 to and from Stollberg.
Upgrading of the Annaberger Straße - Südring ramps
In a second step, the City of Chemnitz will upgrade the ramps between Südring and Annaberger Straße as a precautionary measure following the CVAG measures.
In a third step, a traffic light for crossing Annaberger Straße will be installed and the lanes of Annaberger Straße will be adapted. However, this will only be done when it is actually necessary.
Independently of this, the city of Chemnitz, which is responsible for the bridge, will prepare the medium-term construction of the new Südring bridge over Annaberger Straße.
In addition to the Südring bridge over Annaberger Straße, the Harthauer Straße bridge over the Chemnitz and the Hainstraße pedestrian bridge over the Dresden - Werdau railway line were also subject to a special inspection, as they are also of the same design as the Carola bridge in Dresden. There is also no urgent need for action for either bridge, as demolition and replacement construction were planned anyway. The plans already underway for the replacement of the Harthauer Straße bridge will be continued. The demolition of the Hainstraße pedestrian bridge is being prepared as planned.