The damaged part of the Carola Bridge in Dresden is now to be demolished quickly and before the expected flooding. “The work begins this evening,” said the head of the Road and Civil Engineering Office, Simone Prüfer.
The so-called bridge section C, which partially collapsed into the Elbe over a distance of 100 meters on Wednesday night, is in acute danger of collapsing and cannot be held, explained fire department spokesman Michael Klahre. Laser measurements have shown that the remains of the bridge section are slowly sinking.
This is what the explosion is supposed to achieve
Starting on the Neustadt side, attempts will be made to bring down, break up and remove the sagging part and the cantilever arm that adjoins the bank using forces from the German army, the THW and appropriate technology, Prüfer said. The tram tracks and the district heating line will have to be separated with a small explosion.
Time is running out for the emergency services: Flooding is forecast on the Elbe from Sunday, which would significantly increase the danger.
Heavy rainfall in the Czech Republic
The possible flooding is due to the heavy rainfall expected in the Czech Republic. According to the State Flood Center, 200 liters of precipitation per square meter will fall in the Czech Republic and southern Poland within 72 hours by Monday. Up to 350 liters are possible in the upper mountain areas. Continuous rain is also expected in eastern Saxony. Flood warnings are also to be issued for the Elbe and the Lusatian Neisse and the Spree.
Flooding also in Dresden – part of the bridge in the Elbe
The rainfall expected in the Czech Republic could cause a small flood next week, said the head of the environmental agency, René Herold, in the city council. The forecasts predict a water level of between five and eight meters in Dresden by the middle of next week. As a preventive measure, the dams on the Czech side will be lowered slightly.
The Czech Republic announced on Wednesday that it did not intend to reduce the flow of the Elbe. “I am sure that our colleagues from Saxony also understand that a bridge that has actually collapsed cannot now have priority over protecting the property and lives of not only Czech but also German citizens,” said Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny.
Safety work underway
The day after the partial collapse, safety work was initially carried out on the structure. Since last night, substructures have been erected to support the bridgeheads, also to remove cars and buses still underneath.
The city added that a so-called tachymeter had also been installed on the bridge. The device can use laser technology to measure changes in the tenth of a millimeter range. Several reference points had been installed around the bridge. These had indicated a slight subsidence.
The entire Elbe Bridge is at risk
According to the fire department, the partially collapsed Dresden Elbe Bridge is at risk. This affects the entire structure, said fire department spokesman Klahre. The approximately 400-meter-long bridge consists of a total of three bridge sections that are connected to one another by so-called crossbars. A large part of bridge section C has collapsed.
Bridge section B was also damaged “due to the force of the collapse and the displacement of the superstructure,” said office manager Prüfer. There are subsidences that are currently being recorded and measured. Nothing can be said about bridge section A at the moment. Bridges A and B were recently renovated.
Bridge collapse at 2:59 a.m.
The Carola Bridge collapsed on Wednesday night at 2:59 a.m. This is the time shown on a webcam from the VVO transport association, which recorded the collapse. Just ten minutes earlier, at around 2:50 a.m., the last tram crossed the bridge. No one was injured in the accident.
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