Austria’s new Aurach Bridge construction is now complete. The work involved building the new bridge as well as demolishing the old structure and took over three years to finish.
The bridge is located near the Regau junction in Upper Austria. Three WOLFF 7534.16 Clear cranes were used in the demolition and reconstruction of the A1 West Motorway bridge on behalf of the Habau/Porr joint venture. Long-standing Wolffkran customer Habau provided the flat-top cranes, each with a maximum load capacity of 16.5tonnes, for this project. Installed in 2022, the cranes were mounted on two 77.6m towers and one 64.1m tower.
The cranes were used both for the demolition of the old bridge and for transporting reinforcing steel, formwork elements, precast concrete components, construction vehicles, and for concreting the new superstructures and piers. Freestanding loads of up to 13tonnes were lifted. The cranes were dismantled in March 2025.
Assembly and dismantling required precise logistics due to limited space between highway traffic, railway tracks, and a stream. Numerous safety and water protection regulations had to be observed. The cranes were equipped with slew limiters and cameras to facilitate load handling and increase safety.
For the project, a side-position bridge with a new deck resting on temporary supports was erected alongside the old bridge, allowing traffic to keep flowing. The old bridge was then demolished, while the base of the new bridge was constructed next to the side-position bridge. In spring 2025 the deck built in the side position was shifted laterally onto the newly built piers using hydraulics and sliding tracks.
