Die Retheklappbrücke in Hamburg - Besonderheiten aus dem Stahlbau

The Rethe Bridges in Hamburg - Special features in structural steelwork.

The existing Rethe Vertical Lift Bridge was built in 1934 and will substitute by the new bridge across the Rethe. It consists of two double-leaf bascule bridges with a span of 104.2 m each between the pivot bearings. In an open condition the width of the shipping clearance will be increased from 44 m to 64 m and unlimited in height. One of the double-leaf bascule bridges is used for rail traffic, the other one for road traffic. The two bridges are arranged next to each other and can be opened independently of each other. The overall width of the road bascule bridge is 14.0 m, the overall width of the railway bridge 10.3 m. The spans or leafs are driven by hydraulic cylinders and hydraulically driven rear locking devices. One special feature of the Rethe Bridge is the fact that the central locking unit consists of a finger locking system without any movable parts. After its completion the Rethe Bridge is going to be the largest bascule bridge in Europe and a new highlight of civil engineering.