Austrian Federal Railways awarded the EUR 42 million contract to Alpine Mayreder Bau GmbH in 2005. Ing. Josef Aspalter, Project Manager at Alpine reports, “The load test necessary for technical reasons was carried out successfully on Sunday, 10 June with the inclusion of the media and the public. For the test, nine Taurus locomotives each weighing 96 tonnes were positioned on the bridge from 10.00 to 15.00.”
Bridge Challenge
Structurally the Salzach bridge represents a huge challenge, primarily in respect of the static design. Not only is the total weight of around 8,000 tonnes carried exclusively by piers but the sub-floor of the Salzach’s river bed has also proved to be extremely problematic. Overall it has been necessary to drill down 30 metres in order to reach the natural foundation with piles. As if this is not enough, it has been necessary to maintain twin track suburban rail traffic during the entire construction period. Up to 100 men a day have faced these structural challenges; even divers have been used to facilitate the best possible conditions for the foundation. The bridge’s service life is calculated at 100 to 150 years.
Completion is due to take place in 2008. “This structure will then surely be a prominent point in Salzburg’s cityscape,” says DI Bernhard Köth, Managing Director of Alpine,
proudly about this challenging structure.