The asbestos remediation on the Koblenz Rhine Bridge is more complex than expected, SBB announces. The extent of the asbestos contamination requires the deployment of an additional specialist company from autumn 2024. The aim is to complete the corrosion protection before winter. The rail replacement service is expected to remain in place until June 2025.
In recent months, extensive tests have been carried out to remove the asbestos from the 130-meter-long bridge girder in compliance with applicable safety regulations. Since the extent of the asbestos found is significantly greater than expected, a specialist company had to be commissioned to carry out the upcoming work from autumn 2024. The company is renewing the bridge’s corrosion protection. To do this, the old paint containing asbestos will be removed and a new, asbestos- and lead-free paint will be applied. After the corrosion protection on the top, the new roadway girder will be installed, welded together and also protected. Finally, the roadway will be installed with sleepers and rails. Due to the dependence on external factors such as the weather, an exact forecast of the duration of the work is currently not possible.
Meanwhile, all work that does not concern corrosion protection is continuing. This includes replacing the bridge bearings and repairing the masonry.
Koblenz Rhine Bridge rail replacement
According to the current status, the rail replacement service will probably have to be maintained until June 2025. It is currently not possible to determine the exact duration. The extended renovation will lead to the following timetable changes in border traffic between Switzerland and Germany:
- The S27 and S36 trains are still cancelled in both directions between Koblenz and Waldshut. Replacement buses are running.
- Due to the highly variable volume of traffic on the road, the travel times of the rail replacement buses can vary. The buses therefore run every 15 minutes between Monday and Friday during peak hours and also on Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., otherwise every 30 minutes.
SBB and Deutsche Bahn (DB) apologize to the affected travelers for the inconvenience. They ask travelers to check their connection in the online timetable at sbb.ch or in the SBB Mobile App before starting their journey. The online timetable has been adjusted and suggests the best connections in each case.
Further information can be found on the SBB project page “Koblenz: Repair of the Rhine Bridge” .
Complex renovation work
The renovation of the historic Rhine bridge near Koblenz began in April 2023. Since then, the Koblenz-Waldshut route has been closed to train traffic and replacement buses are running. It turned out that the pollutant remediation is taking longer than expected. Strict safety regulations are observed during asbestos remediation to ensure the highest level of safety.
The protection of nature and the environment is also a top priority. There is no danger to residents and the environment, as a complex special process is used for the renovation, but this leads to a significant extension of the working time.
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