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A tanker truck had loaded 35,000 liters of fuel when it had an accident on the A40 in the Ruhr area in mid-September and caught fire. The accident occurred in Mülheim, at a point where the motorway is crossed by a total of four railway bridges and by the bridge of a disused mine railway.
Now it is known: the truck fire has a much more extensive impact on road and rail traffic than was initially assumed. According to Deutsche Bahn, two more railway bridges in Mülheim have to be demolished, which were badly damaged by the enormous heat.
A railway bridge has already been torn down. As a replacement for them, a makeshift bridge will be built, which is important for passenger traffic, as announced by the railway. This should be ready for use by the end of the year.
Complete closure of the A40 planned
“It is clear that two bridges have to be demolished,” a railroad spokesman said now. An expert found this. The total closure of the A40, the main artery in the Ruhr area, and the demolition of the two railway bridges are planned from 4 December. This is expected to take 10 days, the spokesperson said. The “NRZ” had previously reported on it.
According to Deutsche Bahn, there are disabilities in regional and long-distance traffic. For example, long-distance trains heading to Düsseldorf / Cologne pass through Oberhausen, Essen-Altenessen and Gelsenkirchen, which can extend the duration of the journey. Stops in Bochum, Essen and Mülheim are skipped.
“To span the four-lane A40, a total of four auxiliary bridges are needed,” said a rail announcement. The company estimates that planning and construction will take several months. The cost of demolition, construction of auxiliary bridges and new construction of the bridge would already be in the double-digit million range.
