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Elbe Bridge in Bad Schandau Reopens to 30‑Ton Trucks and Buses

Months of load testing support the change, with the prestressed span under continuous monitoring.

Overview

  • The Infrastructure Ministry raised the limit from 7.5 to 30 tons effective Wednesday, allowing heavy vehicles back on the B172 crossing.
  • Heavy vehicles must keep a 50‑meter gap to prevent load overlap on individual bridge fields.
  • Engineers derived the higher allowance from a load‑testing program running since April.
  • Officials say limits could be tightened again quickly if monitoring shows reduced capacity.
  • The bridge was closed a year ago after special checks prompted by Dresden’s Carolabrücke collapse, then partially reopened in April to vehicles up to 7.5 tons plus cyclists and pedestrians.