The reason for the closure is damage to the bridge area above the hydropower plant. The defects were discovered when a monitoring system installed on this of the three substructures was reported. The substructure above the hydropower plant is managed by the Neckar Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA). The WSA then notified the responsible Ludwigsburg District Office (LRA) and the Stuttgart Regional Council (RPS). In a meeting arranged at short notice with parties involved from the WSA, the Ludwigsburg District Office and the Stuttgart Regional Council (RPS), it was decided to take measures under traffic law to protect the entire structure and to reduce the overall load impact on the structure.
Bus traffic can continue to use the bridge
Bus traffic and emergency vehicles can continue to use the bridge. Heavy goods vehicles must bypass the bridge via the L 1115 and the B 27. By closing the bridge to vehicles with a total weight of 3.5 tons or more, heavy vehicles are less likely to use the bridge at the same time. The overall load is significantly reduced.
The condition of the weir and canal bridge in the area of the hydroelectric power station is constantly monitored by the Waterways and Shipping Authority. In addition, the WSA has commissioned supplementary investigations to improve the stability and load-bearing capacity of the bridge structure. The other substructures of the weir and canal bridge are managed and inspected by the Stuttgart Regional Council.
Background information:
The weir and canal bridge in Besigheim, also known as the Neckar Bridge, was built in the 1950s and is used by more than 13,000 vehicles every day. The proportion of trucks is around 4.2 percent. Due to its construction as a prestressed concrete bridge with prestressing steel, the weir and canal bridge is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. Of the total of around 7,300 bridges in Baden-Württemberg, 73 structures on federal or state roads are currently known to have this risk. The Stuttgart Regional Council has already initiated planning for the new construction of the bridge structure and is pressing ahead with this. Measures have been taken to protect the existing bridge structure. These include annual inspections of the structure, a 50-metre distance requirement for trucks and ongoing monitoring using noise emission analysis. This was announced by the Stuttgart Regional Council (RPS) in a press release on November 18, 2024. The aim is to start the replacement construction as early as possible.
