Slope reduced – crossing at 60 km/h should now be possible without problems: Mobile Astra bridge optimized for use on the A1

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

The Astra presented the renovated bridge to the media on Wednesday in Rothrist AG. The two-lane structure, which has been extended by ten meters and has additional ramps on both sides, will be used for renovation work between Recherswil SO and Luterbach SO on the A1 motorway towards Zurich from April 7 to mid-August.

As the Astra had previously announced, the gradient was reduced, making driving easier, especially for trucks. Driving tests with various vehicles such as caravans, trailers or coaches have shown that crossing at 60 km/h is possible without any problems. The same applies to sports cars with only ten centimeters of ground clearance.

Even higher speeds are possible for police and medical vehicles, as Boris Boss from the Solothurn Cantonal Police said.

The bridge cost 26 million francs

While traffic rolls through 257 meters above, the surface is renewed over a length of 100 meters. This means that night work can be significantly reduced, says Richard Kocherhans, head of the Astra branch in Zofingen. Other advantages are that the construction workers are less exposed to traffic and that the bridge protects against sun and rain.

Together with the improvements, the bridge, which was used for the first time as a pilot project in 2022, cost around 26 million euros. When the renovation work under the bridge is completed, the bridge, which consists of various modules, will be hydraulically raised ten centimeters and moved 100 meters further to the next building section using GPS remote control. This process takes 90 minutes.

Astra expects better traffic flow

In contrast to the first use in the spring of 2022, the consequences encountered during the ascent and descent could have been significantly reduced, Astra said. Better traffic flow is therefore expected.

Because the A1 between Recherswil SO and Luterbach SO is one of the busiest Swiss highways with up to 82,000 vehicles per day, traffic jams are still expected, it was said. Alternative traffic must be restricted with accompanying measures such as displaying the travel time and the dosage of the exit in Kirchberg and Kriegstetten. (SDA)

Source:Blick