Since this winter, ice and snow have been removed from the roadway on the Mauthausen Danube Bridge with particular care. As reported, regular checks on the Danube bridge revealed damage to the steel structure, which was mainly caused by the use of road salt. In order to slow down this deterioration in the condition of the bridge, the state of Upper Austria is using a specially developed gritting vehicle. Magnesium sulphate is sprayed directly onto the road with special nozzles, thus avoiding contact with the steel struts. In addition, protective panels made of Plexiglas were installed on the bridge. Both measures are intended to help prevent the corrosion of the steel structure from progressing so rapidly.
Because the old bridge will still have to fulfill its function as an important Danube crossing and connecting road between the western autobahn and the lower Mühlviertel for a few years. The completion of a new Danube bridge is currently given by the state of Upper Austria with the year 2027. Traffic will have to flow over the old bridge for at least another five years. During the inspection of the existing bridge carried out last year, the experts found that the condition had recently deteriorated to such an extent that additional measures were needed to ensure that the bridge could be used until 2027. The plexiglass protective panels and the special gritting vehicle are part of these measures.
Association puts pressure on new building
While citizens’ initiatives in Lower Austria are extremely critical of the construction of an additional bridge, in the district of Perg no stone is left unturned to strengthen the proponents of a new building and the politicians responsible. For example, the “DoNeubrücke” association has been campaigning for the new bridge for more than three years. The board of directors around chairman Johannes Hödlmayr therefore also welcomes the initiatives that have now been taken to preserve the old bridge: “As a club, we are pleased that politicians have come up with effective solutions for preserving the Danube bridge, and so in the future, until the new bridge is completed , the mobility needs of people in the region can be met.”
Source: Nachrichten
