Construction of the Burgweinting motorway bridge

Underside of a highway bridge under construction with scaffolding, a lift, and rail electrification lines below
Location Burgweinting, A3 near Regensburg, Germany
Project Duration Finalised 2023
Industry Infrastructure Transportation
Client German federal Autobahn GmbH, South Bavaria subsidiary

The approximately 200-m-long Burgweinting motorway bridge, completed in 1965, which spans long-distance railway lines and the Regensburg-Ost marshalling yard, is the key structure in the six-lane expansion of the A3 ‘European motorway’ near Regensburg.

Obermeyer was commissioned, as part of an engineering consortium, to provide overall construction management and supervision of structural engineering, transport infrastructure and railway construction.

For each carriageway, a sub-structure was constructed using a composite steel structure with two trapezoidal steel girders each, which were installed in four stages.

The replacement construction of the two sub-structures, which was extremely challenging from a technical, operational and construction logistics perspective, was carried out entirely over railway tracks and overhead line systems that remained in operation. A special form of the incremental launching method was used for the construction. First, the new steel components were connected to the old steel framework. The new bridge was then slid into position longitudinally over the tracks, whilst the old bridge was pushed out. A total displacement weight of 1,680 tonnes had to be moved in the process.

The project also included the renewal and widening of the motorway carriageway, along with the associated infrastructure and traffic safety works.

Since completion by the end of 2023, all traffic has been running on six-lanes across the two new structures.

Construction site with extensive formwork and steel shoring around a deep excavation
Aerial view of motorway construction beside active traffic, with bridge deck formwork and earthworks in a rural landscape
Bridge construction site with steel columns, cranes, workers, and road deck surfacing

Technical Specifications

Structural system Composite steel bridge structure with trapezoidal steel girders
Bridge construction method Incremental launching method (special variant)
Construction under operation conditions Bridge replacement over live railway tracks and overhead lines
Associated transport infrastructure works Renewal and widening of motorway carriageway
Construction site with extensive formwork and bracing around a concrete structure
Construction workers aligning a large steel bridge segment on scaffolding and temporary supports
Steel bridge girder under construction above railway tracks, with crane, scaffolding, and workers on site
Aerial view of motorway roadworks beside traffic, with bridge deck construction and earthworks over railway tracks
Road bridge construction site with steel columns, workers, crane and vehicles under a blue sky
Underside of a concrete bridge under construction with scaffolding, a boom lift, and site vehicles
Bridge deck under construction with red formwork, scaffolding, and a tower crane

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