A 3,700-tonne, 108-metre-long railway bridge is being transported through the heart of Hamburg today, moving along Max-Brauer-Allee on 48 self-propelled modular transporters with 1,088 wheels to its final installation site. The new Sternbrücke, a critical node in the city's rail network carrying up to 900 trains daily before the line's closure, replaces a century-old structure that had reached the end of its service life.
The operation required significant preparation: [86 trees were felled], lampposts removed, and a petrol station canopy cut away to clear the route. The road surface was reinforced with steel plates atop 60 centimetres of fill. Project manager Janna Widmaier described the tight construction site as a major challenge, with just 80 centimetres of clearance between the bridge and adjacent buildings.
Once positioned at a height of six metres, the bridge will be set onto prepared bearings and sealed with concrete overnight to take advantage of cooler temperatures. Rail services are scheduled to resume by late August.