STRABAG Delivers Engineering Milestone as Lead Partner in Bridge Construction Consortium
Engineering Feat: 40,000-Ton Rinsdorf Viaduct Section to Be Shifted Crosswise
In a groundbreaking engineering operation, the first section of the Rinsdorf viaduct—an enormous steel-and-concrete structure weighing 40,000 tons—is set to be shifted laterally on June 3 and 4. Remarkably, this section alone weighs nearly twice as much as the iconic cruise liner, MS Deutschland.
The move will involve shifting the entire bridge section, including its substructure and six piers—some as tall as 70 meters—by 20.59 meters to the southwest. During the shift, traffic on the A45 will continue to flow uninterrupted on the adjacent second section of the viaduct.
“This kind of transverse shift, including the piers, is unprecedented in Germany at this scale,” said Elfriede Sauerwein-Braksiek, Director of the Westphalia branch of Autobahn GmbH. The engineering marvel is being carried out by a construction consortium led by STRABAG AG and Bickhardt Bau AG, tasked with rebuilding the Rinsdorf and Rälsbach valley bridges.
To ensure uninterrupted traffic flow during construction, the first half of the new viaduct was initially built beside the original bridge. The old one-part viaduct was demolished about three years ago, making room for the second section to be built in its place. Now, with both new sections complete, the first will be shifted into its final alignment.
The shift, expected to take 20 to 30 hours, is being enabled by an innovative system. In recent weeks, each of the six piers was elevated by approximately two centimeters. Teflon sliding plates, lubricated with a special grease to minimize friction, were installed between the piers and their foundations—allowing the massive structure to glide almost as if on rails.
“From the start, safety has been our top priority,” Sauerwein-Braksiek emphasized. “We developed a comprehensive risk management plan and involved leading civil engineering experts early in the design process. Their insights were key in selecting this method.”
Restricted Access for Public Safety
Due to the bridge’s location above state road L907 and ongoing traffic, no viewing areas or parking will be available for spectators. The construction site will be completely closed off, and the nearby cycle path from the Wilnsdorf industrial area to Rinsdorf will be shut down on both days. An absolute no-stopping rule will also be enforced on the state road during the operation.
However, those interested in witnessing the feat can follow the event live via a livestream on Autobahn Westfalen’s official YouTube channel, “Die Autobahn”. A time-lapse video will also be published and made available to the media after the shift concludes on June 4.
STRABAG AG, Cologne The success story of STRABAG AG, Cologne, began in 1923. Today, the company is part of the Austrian STRABAG SE group and acts as the parent company of the German STRABAG Group companies. As the German market leader in transportation infrastructure construction, the company generates an annual output of approximately €4 billion in this business area with approximately 14,000 employees. From digital planning to the extraction and production of building materials, project construction, maintenance and upkeep by its own road maintenance services, and demolition and reuse – STRABAG’s units cover the entire value chain in the construction of infrastructure facilities, take a lifecycle-oriented approach to projects, and consistently integrate innovation, digitalization, and sustainability into its processes. Together, in close collaboration with strong partners, the company pursues a clear goal: to make construction resource-efficient and climate-neutral.
