According to Deutsche Bahn AG, which is responsible for the construction and operation of the bridge, the delay is due to the "accelerated construction process". In this procedure, all planning is not finalised before construction begins. This would have meant that the interim bridge would have been completed in two years at the earliest.
With the "accelerated procedure", changes to the design could still be made during the production process - which is now the case. According to the railway company, the temporary sliding bridge is a unique structure in Germany for which it is not possible to fall back on existing solutions. It was found that additional guide girders were required for better load distribution, which increases the weight of the bridge. This would require a stronger drive for the moving parts of the bridge than originally assumed. However, such design changes would have an impact on the construction schedule.
Annoying for local residents, good for sailors
This is annoying for the affected residents in the region, who now have to wait even longer for the Schlei crossing. They currently have to take detours to get from one bank to the other.
However, the delay is good news for sailors: as long as the interim bridge is not installed, which should have happened these days, there will be no additional passage closures. The Schlei will only be closed to shipping from Monday, 30 October 2023 as part of the construction work. Boats will not be able to pass through again until the start of the season in April 2024. The temporary bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, which will be in operation until then, will open for boats four times a day for around 20 minutes. This will be at 10.30 am, 11.30 am, 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm. You can find the latest information from the railway here.
MESSAGE FROM APRIL 2023:
After the old dilapidated bascule section of the Lindaunis bridge was removed in March of this year, sailors have been able to pass the narrow section unhindered at all times since then, as can be seen in the picture above. The railway had decided to erect a temporary replacement bridge for the duration of the construction work instead of having to repair the old bridge again and again at great expense. Work on this began in April and should be completed "in the summer". The date for this has now been finalised, as the Cruiser department of the DSV has learnt. The bridge will be installed from 15 to 31 August. Although there will be openings during this time, the exact dates are still being finalised with the Schlei shipping company. Anyone planning to travel up or down the Schlei from or to Schleswig on holiday should therefore check the Deutsche Bahn construction portal to enquire about the latest times. As soon as the times are announced, they will also be published on the YACHT website.
Many residents and holidaymakers on the Schlei are urgently waiting for the pedestrian and cycle bridge, as the Schlei is currently impassable at Arnis due to the failure of the Arniss cable ferry since the start of the season. The ferry's leaseholder has given up the service and there is no new one in sight. This leaves only Kappeln and Missunde for the crossing.
Once the temporary bridge has been opened for pedestrians and cyclists, it will be reopened for yachts four times a day for around 20 minutes. The openings for shipping traffic will then only take place daily at10.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 2.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.instead.
According to KA, the installation of the newly constructed bridge will then begin in winter from November and be completed by April 2024. During this time, the passage is expected to be closed to shipping, but there will probably be a few collective openings again by arrangement with the railway.
