Friesenbrücke near Weener: second bridge section successfully placed

Construction of the new Friesenbrücke over the Ems near Weener is progressing steadily. Recently, the second, tonne-heavy bridge segment was placed. This was a 70-metre-long, 700-tonne segment, which was moved into place during the afternoon high tide. This was done without the use of a crane, by moving the section from a floating pontoon across the river to its proper place. An impressive operation that shows how far the work has already progressed.

Het tweede brugdeel van de Friesenbrücke wordt geplaatst via een drijvend platform.

Source: DB InfraGO

The new Friesenbrücke is an important link in the rail link between Groningen and German Bremen, part of the Wunderline. The new bridge will soon make cross-border train traffic possible again.

Last part

In December, the third and final part of the bridge is expected, the middle section equipped with a lifting and turning mechanism to allow ships to pass through the Ems. This is not only an engineering challenge, but also an impressive design. The new bridge will be the largest lift-turn bridge for rail traffic in Europe.

2025

The bridge will be accessible to train traffic by mid-2025. However, pedestrians and cyclists are expected to be able to use the bridge as early as spring. The construction progress and preparatory work can be followed daily from a special viewing platform, which Deutsche Bahn has placed on the embankment of Westoverledingen.

Curious to see the footage of the installation of the second bridge section?

Watch the video on YouTube