Overview
- The remaining eastern span was brought down shortly after 11:00 local time without complications, making room to continue the rebuild.
- The A45 between Lüdenscheid-Nord and Hagen-Süd was closed in both directions for the operation, with reopening dependent on debris removal and Autobahn GmbH checks of the adjacent new west bridge.
- The first new bridge section on the west side has been carrying traffic since October, allowing phased replacement while the old east half was taken down.
- Preparations included a roughly 6,500-cubic-meter earth fall bed and a safety perimeter of about 350 meters, with police, fire services and the THW supporting the operation.
- Project officials said the next step is dismantling and haul-off of rubble before building the second new section, with a construction time of around two years described as a realistic estimate.