Bridge conversion in Gießen: new traffic flows and challenges!

On December 31, 2024, important developments on the construction projects in Gießen were announced. The renovation of the second railway bridge in Lahnstrasse is planned, with the bridge to have an expansion length of 107 meters. The Gießen Regional Council has already initiated the regulatory hearing procedure. The city of Gießen is the applicant. The planning documents can be viewed until January 24, 2025 and were published on the homepage of the RP Gießen and provided for inspection in the Gießen civil engineering office.

The bridge near Kleinlinden is widened by 11 meters during these measures. In addition, a bicycle track, a second sidewalk and a second car trail are created. Traffic lights and turning loop on Bachweg are to be removed; The turning loop is green. The total cost of the project is 6 million euros, with the city of Gießen paying 1 million euros. The rest is financed by the railway, the federal and state governments. Construction of the bridge work is scheduled for 2027 at the earliest, while road construction should begin in 2028 at the earliest. Magistrate and other jobs have already been asked to comment on the planning documents.

traffic restrictions on the bridge "donkey meadow"

In addition, the "donkey meadow" bridge of the B 429 over the Lahn near Gießen for heavy traffic from 3.5 tons in both directions is blocked. Trucks are diverted in a large scale because the bridge, which was built in 1971, had to be examined due to static examinations and regular bridge tests. As early as 2022, a load limit of 44 tons and a distance requirement for heavy traffic was introduced. A 3D laser scan also found deformations on the bridge, which has led to the blocking for traffic over 3.5 tons since April 6, 2023.

Since the end of July 2023, the road width of the B 429 in the area of the bridge has been reduced to one lane per direction. The permissible maximum speed is 60 km/h in both directions. The detour for traffic from Wetzlar leads via the B 49 to the Bergwerkwald junction to the A 485 and then to the B 429 to the Heuchelheim junction. For traffic from Erfurt/Kassel, traffic is led over the Gießen Nordkreuz and to the A 485.

measurement -related examinations for the determination of deformations on the bridge were completed in 2023. In addition, preparations for a material testing of the construction steel are ongoing to carry out an updated arithmetic examination, which should be completed in summer 2024. The first reinforcement measures in the bridge are planned for 2024 and are expected to begin in August/September 2024 and be completed in early 2025. The reinforcement is carried out "from below" so as not to impair the traffic of the B 429. Even after the first reinforcement, the bridge remains blocked for heavy traffic from 3.5 tons. Further reinforcements or a replacement building will be necessary to remove the load restriction. Hessen Mobil plans technically feasible variants to determine the economically and sustainably best possible solution for the bridge structure, as Hessen.de reported.