The Sophienbrücke in Bad Goisern can be opened again earlier than planned – even if only for pedestrians and cyclists. It was previously closed to car traffic, but an exception was made for residents. Now they have to take a detour of several hundred meters.
The 70-year-old bridge had to be unexpectedly closed a year ago. After defects were discovered in the structure, a licensed structural engineer was commissioned to inspect them. When he confirmed the defects, Mayor Leopold Schilcher (SPÖ) was forced to close the bridge.
The state’s bridge construction department advised the market town to remove asphalt and concrete to reduce the bridge’s dead weight. According to the technicians, this would at least make it accessible to pedestrians and cyclists again. In fact, an excavator removed around 50 tons of asphalt and concrete in the past few weeks. The bridge could now be reopened before the start of the summer season.
“Now we have time to calmly think about whether we want to renovate the Sophienbrücke or build a new one,” says Mayor Schilcher.
Schilcher rejects the criticism from the local ÖVP that the temporary solution would have cost 400,000 euros. “The dredging work carried out cost 35,000 euros as planned,” he says. “The municipality and the Inner Salzkammergut Tourism Association each split this sum equally. The construction project was decided unanimously by the community board, including the votes of the ÖVP.” Schilcher is “a mystery” as to how his political competitor came up with a sum of 400,000 euros.
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Source: Nachrichten
