Partial collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden resulted in no injuries.
Photo by imageBROKER.com GmbH & Co. KG / Alamy Stock Photo
Aging infrastructure as a global problem was clearly on display when a bridge span partially collapsed into the Elbe River in Dresden, Germany on Sept. 11. The sudden late-night failure caused no injurites but has impaired traffic flow in the city of 590,000.
The span is part of the 100-meter-long Carola bridge across the Elbe built between 1967 and 1971, and carries a tram line and hot water lines, reports EuroNews. The bridge is one of four crossings in the city.
Simone Pruefer, head of the city’s road and civil engineering office, says the bridge has been inspected and examined in accordance with guidelines as required. “We were all very surprised” by what happened, she told reporters, “and are now devoting a great deal of attention to investigating the cause.”
Breaks in longitudinal concrete beams near bridge masonry piers at both river banks are evident from photos and videos, but whether these are a primary cause of the collapse isn’t clear. Corrosion is also being weighed as a possible cause, according to media reports.
The part of the bridge that collapsed was scheduled for renovation and had last been rehabbed in 1996, EuroNews reported.
Dresden’s auto and ship traffic has been badly disrupted. “The bridge is a lifeline for the people, the culture and the economy of this city,” says Dresden Mayor Dirk Hilbert. He said the city is working “at full speed” to secure the bridge from further collapse and to clear the debris.
Deputy Editor Richard Korman helps run ENR’s business and legal news and investigations, selects ENR’s commentary and oversees editorial content on ENR.com. In 2023 the American Society of Business Publication Editors awarded Richard the Stephen Barr Award, the highest honor for a single feature story or investigation, for his story on the aftermath of a terrible auto crash in Kentucky in 2019, and in 2015 the American Business Media awarded him the Timothy White Award for investigations of surety fraud and workplace bullying. A member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, Richard has been a fellow on drone safety with the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Richard’s freelance writing has appeared in the Seattle Times, the New York Times, Business Week and the websites of The Atlantic and Salon.com. He admires construction projects that finish on time and budget, compensate all team members fairly and record zero fatalities or serious injuries.