Construction initiated on A42 Highway: Progress underway - "Kranballett construction commences on A42"
Construction work has commenced on the crane ballet project along the A42 in Bottrop, the industrial heartland of the Ruhr region. A mesmerizing display of coordination, two massive cranes have embarked on a delicate dance to demolish and reconstruct an industrial bridge.
The German news agency dpa reported that the two 250-ton parts for the new industrial bridge were carefully unloaded in the morning. Achieving perfect synchrony, the towering cranes performed a slow, precision dance, one crane rotating each bridge part centimeter by centimeter. By midday, one half of the bridge was expected to reach its designated location, with the second half following on Wednesday.
To create a still pond for this grand spectacle, the Rhein-Herne Canal was temporarily closed to avoid any possible wave movements that could disrupt the intricate maneuver. The expansive project costs approximately 35 million euros. Future work will involve constructing the actual autobahn bridge, but no date has been set.
Remarkably, the show-stopping cranes, usually employed in constructing wind farms, were brought in by Evonik, the project’s executor on behalf of bridge owner BP. The towering machines reached near-100 meters in height, a necessity to unload the parts from the ship.
The assembly of the new industrial bridge is tentatively scheduled to take place over the Whitsun bank holiday in just ten days. As the complex dance continues, the full A42 highway will be closed from June 6 (10:00 PM) to June 16 (5:00 AM). A viewing platform will offer spectators an unparalleled front-row seat to this spectacular display.
The current A42 canal bridge for road traffic has shown signs of deterioration, leading to a temporary full closure at the beginning of 2024. Traffic carrying vehicles over 3.5 tons has to navigate around temporary barriers. The A42 serves as a vital east-west artery in the Ruhr region between Duisburg and Dortmund, with over 82,000 vehicles using it daily.
- The employment policy of Evonik, a project executor, necessitated the use of their cranes, usually employed in constructing wind farms, for the demolition and reconstruction of an industrial bridge in the A42's industrial heartland, Bottrop.
- The community policy of local authorities temporarily closed the Rhein-Herne Canal to avoid any possible wave movements that could disrupt the intricate maneuver of the cranes during the assembly of the new industrial bridge, a project estimated to cost approximately 35 million euros.
