On the Tauern highway

New technology: 600 meter long bridge “floats away”

A special lifting technique was used

(Bild: Asfinag)

A new type of lifting technology was used to build a new bridge on the Tauern highway between Seeboden and Gmünd: The Steinbrückenbach valley crossing was raised by six meters for this purpose. A video shows the two-day process.

Built in 1975, the Steinbrückenbach valley crossing on the Tauernautobahn is getting on in years - the supporting structure urgently needs to be renewed. A new method is being used for this (we reported). Using hydraulic cable lifting devices, the 600-metre-long structure was lifted up to six meters in two stages over the past few days by an Austrian-Italian consortium. "This special construction technique saves on production, but also on the transportation of a specially manufactured scaffolding girder to and from the site," says Asfinag board member Hartwig Hufnagl. The lifting technology would save almost 100 tons of steel and many material transports.

One supporting structure bears the entire traffic load
However, before the lifting could take place, preparatory work had already begun in March. Among other things, the supporting structure in the direction of Salzburg had to be prepared so that the bridge could carry the entire traffic load, up to a total of four lanes.

The supporting structure was lifted over an incredible 600 meters

(Bild: Asfinag)

The old, raised support structure will serve as a scaffolding and support structure for the construction of the new bridge support structure. The Villach section should be completed and open to traffic by mid-2025. This will be followed by the construction of the second bridge in the Salzburg direction. Overall completion is planned for 2027. 70 million euros will be invested in the new construction.