Lützelbach Viaduct

Lützelbach viaduct / first increment at a height of 50 m above the valley successfully completed

Since the end of 2013, the Lützelbach viaduct on the A45 motorway, located between Dillenburg and Herborn-West interchanges, has been dismantled and replaced by new structure.

Construction began with the bridge half in the direction of Dortmund, which has already been opened up for traffic. In January 2017, Donges began with the assembly of the 2nd construction phase. The final assembly of the two steel box girders is carried out in 5 individual shifts at a height of up to 50 m above the valley using the incremental shift method. The 1st shift was successfully carried out by Donges on February 17, 2017.

A special challenge is the transport of the components with a unit weight of over 100 t (section 1 + 2) and a length of up to 40.00 m. Due to the very narrow geometry of the form station, it is necessary to re-couple the tractor unit on the trucks. Access to the unloading area is thus carried out in push mode. It is not possible to use mobile cranes for unloading. That is why Donges developed a special concept by which the components can be moved transversely by means of a specially designed lifting portal and a mechanically driven rail car.

Technical information

Superstructures each as two-cell steel composite box girders

Design: 7-span steel composite bridge
Total length: 270.00 m
Largest single support span: 58.90 m
Construction height/width of composite cross-section per lane direction: 3.60 m / 17.60 m
Tonnage: 3,000 t
Owner: Hessen Mobil Straßen- und Verkehrsmanagement (Hessen Mobil Road and Traffic Management)