Expert clarifies

Can bridge tragedies also happen here?

Alexander Walcher from ASFINAG knows his way around the 5,800 highway bridges in Austria.(Bild: AFP und ASFINAG Krone KREATIV,)

What about our highway bridges? Alexander Walcher, Managing Director of ASFINAG-Baumanagement, knows whether a tragedy like the one in the USA could also happen in Austria. He also explains which highway construction worries him the most.

"Krone": Could a disaster like the one in Baltimore also happen here?
Alexander Walcher: Our bridges are built to withstand the impact of ships. However, all piers are equipped with radar mirrors so that an accident should not occur. What happens time and time again is that parts of ships that have come loose damage the structure. As soon as something like this happens, experts inspect the bridge. However, there are no massive ships like the ones in the USA on the Danube.

What is the general procedure for inspecting highway bridges?
Every six years, external specialists inspect our 5,800 bridges. In addition, ASFINAG has a program that also inspects the material in detail every two years.

And what about our bridges?
Thanks to our system, our bridges are probably among the safest in the world. We award school grades. Over 50 percent of the structures are rated as very good and good. In other words, they are as good as new.

Which highway bridge is currently causing you the most concern?
One problem case is the Lueg Bridge on the Brenner highway. We have wanted to rebuild this crossing for three years. But due to the resistance of one municipality, we are unable to implement this. A special monitoring system ensures safety here. The condition of the bridge is checked weekly.

When will a new bridge actually be built?
In general, we don't renovate bridges until they are in a poor condition. The intrinsic value of a structure should be preserved. We therefore tackle construction sites at an earlier stage. This often causes astonishment among motorists. Because the bridge still looks good and yet is being renovated.