Defective bridge: Ziegelgraben bridge near Rügen no longer opens

Sailors at the Zecherin Bridge near Usedom will also have to adjust to restrictions on opening hours:

• Usedom: Zecherin bridge only opens in the morning

Scheduled maintenance and repair work had been taking place on the mechanical drive of the Ziegelgraben Bridge since Monday 6 October. On Wednesday, during an initial test following the maintenance work, it was discovered that the bridge was not opening smoothly. In order to get to the bottom of the cause and check whether components were affected and needed to be replaced to ensure the bridge could be opened safely, traffic across the bridge was reduced to walking speed and the bridge openings were suspended for shipping.

Error found - repair will take some time

After the results of the inspection were not expected until Monday (13 October) at the earliest, the surprising news came yesterday from the State Office for Road Construction and Transport: "The experts [...] have found the cause of the irregularities in the opening and closing of the Ziegelgraben bridge. Planning for the repair is currently underway. The faulty parts have already been removed and are now to be refurbished. The parts were responsible for the flap not opening and closing as intended." The speed limit for traffic over the bridge will be lifted today (10 October). "The vibrations that occur at 30 km/h have no detrimental effect on the bridge flap," reads the press release from the state office. For shipping, however, this means: no more passage with a clearance height of over six metres.

No getting through with over six metres

The old drawbridge is 133 metres long and connects the mainland near Stralsund with the island of Dähnholm. It consists of three parts: Two fixed bridges and the folding centre section. The steel structure of the centre section is closed to road and rail traffic at set times every day. Lifting the bridge sections allows shipping to pass the Rügen dam. The opening normally takes place daily at 2.30 am (opening on demand), 5.20 am, 8.20 am, 12.20 pm, 3.20 pm, 5.20 pm and 9.30 pm for 20 minutes.

As the WSA traffic centre in Warnemünde confirmed, there is no information yet on how long the suspension of the bridge openings will last. The Stralsund Road Construction Office will provide information as soon as the defective components have been replaced and the repairs can be continued, according to the press release from the state office. All bridge sections will be cancelled until the repairs are completed. For commercial and pleasure craft, passage is only possible until further notice if the boats can safely pass the bridge when it is closed and has a clearance height of six metres.