Overview

• The Elbbrücke reopened in April after load-bearing tests approved vehicles up to 7.5 tons alongside cyclists and pedestrians.
• Pirna police carried out targeted spot checks this week to intercept trucks and buses exceeding the weight cap and reroute them.
• Repeated past violations by heavy vehicles have heightened fears that further overloading could prompt another full closure.
• The bridge was closed from November 2024 until April after inspections revealed structural cracks linked to aging prestressed concrete.
• Transport authorities are advancing medium-term replacement plans to address corrosion vulnerabilities in the Henningsdorfer prestressing steel.