Image: Wolfgang Spitzbart
Drivers on their way to Linz have had to be patient since the beginning of this week, due to the start of the general renovation of the B3 between Mauthausen and Langenstein. During Holy Week, another construction site will be set up at the Mauthausen bridge on the Danube. From Monday to Thursday (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) only a shortened turning lane is available at the right turn lane from the B3 to the Danube Bridge. The reason for the traffic obstruction are exploratory drilling for soil exploration in the abutment area of the bridge.
These exploration wells serve to explore the nature of the soil in deeper layers. The load-bearing capacity of the subsoil is then determined on the basis of this data. The drilling is part of the preparatory work for the new construction of the existing bridge. As reported, the supporting structure of the existing road bridge will be removed and rebuilt after the construction of the new Danube bridge.
The date for the exploratory drilling was deliberately set for the Easter holidays, as less traffic than usual is to be expected during this week. In addition, traffic towards Linz has been routed via the so-called flood diversion since Monday of this week due to B3 construction work. The daily morning and evening peaks in the direction of Enns and St. Valentin will be able to flow normally due to the time limit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. According to the Danube Bridge project team, the effects can be reduced to an absolute minimum.
Why no 30 for Zug?
The 30 km/h speed limit for motor vehicles on the Danube Bridge, which has also been controlled by radar since the beginning of March, has raised the question of why this speed limit does not also apply to trains. After all, this would trigger at least as many stressful vibrations as the cars and trucks on the bridge. The answer to this is relatively simple: the railway and road crossings rest on the same bridge pillars, but on their own bridge structures. While the structure for the road is technically already counted, this is not the case for the rail bridge. “Therefore, the supporting structure of the road bridge will be removed and rebuilt after the construction of the new Danube bridge. The bridge for the railway will remain in its current form,” the project team of the Danube bridge announced when asked by the OÖN editors.
Source: Nachrichten
