Lüdenscheid (dpa / lnw) - The city of Lüdenscheid and the Sauerland region are facing new bad news after the complete closure of the A45 Rahmede viaduct: The Volme Bridge in nearby Bruges will remain closed until further notice due to serious damage. The middle pillar shows serious damage after the flood a year ago and requires extensive maintenance, Deutsche Bahn said. Two regional trains run over the bridge: the RB 52 between Lüdenscheid, Hagen and Dortmund and the RB 25 between Lüdenscheid and Cologne, which are now being replaced by buses, as a spokesman for DB NRW explained on Thursday. The WDR had also reported on the closure of the 130-year-old stone bridge.
Lüdenscheid Mayor Sebastian Wagemeyer was shocked: "Our city will be cut off from rail traffic to the Rhineland and the Ruhr area even more than it already is." After the full closure and the construction of the A45 motorway bridge, which will probably take several years, this is the "next disaster". The SPD politician demanded that Deutsche Bahn should get rail traffic through the Volmetal going again as quickly as possible.
During an inspection, damage was discovered to the middle bridge pier, so the railway bridge had to be closed on July 1, the railway said. Further investigations, including with a diving robot and test drilling, have now revealed: A flow deflector was badly damaged by the flood in July 2021, so that the current presses directly on the pillar and weakens it. The bridge cannot be released until further notice. "It is becoming apparent that the bridge will have to be rebuilt in the medium term."
According to DB, experts are working flat out to get the necessary work under way. Several technical variants would be examined. Among other things, the rocky ground and working in the water are difficult. A rough schedule for the repairs should be available at the beginning of August. Wagemeyer also appealed to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal Ministry of Transport to find a solution quickly. It's about "the preservation and future of our city and the entire region".
