No, this is not an attempt to break the record for the number of trucks that can drive across a bridge without collapsing. It is an experience about the power of the bridge. German company highway He is the manager of this bridge. Under the slogan “Measurement is knowledge,” the highway director tested how the bridge behaves under a lot of weight.
The bridge in question is the more than fifty-year-old Moseltalbrücke, or the bridge over the Mosel Valley. The bridge is part of the A61 motorway and is the second highest bridge in Germany. The bridge is 935 meters long, 123 meters high, and 30.5 meters wide. About 45,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily, a third of which are trucks. The bridge has begun to notice this.
Why are there 24 trucks parked on the bridge?
Early last year, cracks were discovered in the welds on the bridge deck. The reason for this was already clear before inspection: the welded steel connections were tired and distorted. To further investigate these deformations, the highway director devised an experiment: drive 24 trucks onto the bridge and see how the steel structure behaves.
Anyway, a lot of credit to the recruit who managed to convince 24 people to enter a shaky bridge with a heavy truck. We think it went something like this: “Hey, we have a crumbling bridge that’s 123 meters high, would you like to take 23 more trucks and see what the real damage is?” It’s really safe. We believe. we hope. Just out of interest, but did you arrange your will correctly?
The results of this test should provide information for future repair work. The director hopes to begin repairs sometime this year. It is not yet known exactly when this will happen and how long the work will take. Currently, there is a temporary speed limit of 60 km/h on the right lane and 80 on the left. Trucks must maintain a distance of at least fifty meters from each other, even in traffic jams.
