First Rhine crossing to be operational at year-end
The resolution of one of the most important bottlenecks in the German highway network is coming within reach—thanks among others to intensive work by HOCHTIEF. The first part of the roughly one-kilometer-long new construction for the A1 Leverkusen Bridge achieved another milestone today: Operating from a vessel, experts placed the last main girders to close the bridge gap. By year-end 2023, the first bridge structure is to be completed. Afterwards, among others, the roadways, the protective facilities, the noise barriers and the signage will still be prepared. From the end of January 2024 onwards, passenger car and lorry traffic in the directions of Dortmund and Koblenz will flow over the new structure.
In 2021, HOCHTIEF had been commissioned by Autobahn GmbH with the continued construction of this bridge and carried out the works according to schedule together with its project partners. HOCHTIEF will also manage construction of the second Rhine bridge via which traffic is planned to flow on four lanes in the direction of Dortmund after completion scheduled for the end of 2027. Together with partners, the Group received the relevant contract worth around EUR 426 million in July.
HOCHTIEF is also responsible, in a joint venture, for the eight-lane expansion of the A1 highway near the Rhine crossing, at the Leverkusen West interchange. In addition to a new link to the A59, several bridges are to be demolished and new ones to be built on a 2.5-kilometer stretch. This project has a contract value of almost EUR 200 million.