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A516 Bridge Closes Gap With Germany’s First 40‑Meter Prefab Sections

The pilot aims to show that extra‑large parts can cut months from work in a dense urban corridor.

Overview

  • Crews placed the final piece to complete a 120‑meter span on the A516 in Oberhausen, using prefabricated concrete units.
  • The installed sections are 40 meters long and about 121 tonnes each, the first use of such XXL parts in Germany after a previous 35‑meter limit.
  • Autobahn GmbH says the bridge could be ready in about seven months, which would shorten closures and ease traffic and emissions in the Ruhr area.
  • Project backers expect fewer joints to improve durability by limiting places where water can seep into the concrete.
  • The giant elements arrived by heavy transport from a concrete plant, an A2 crash briefly delayed deliveries, and crews used special cranes to lift the units into place.