Lüdenscheid (dpa / lnw) – Before the planned demolition of the dilapidated Rahmede motorway bridge on the important A45 near Lüdenscheid, buildings, roads and canals in the immediate vicinity are to be checked. Around six months after the section on the so-called Sauerland line was completely closed, 40 residential buildings and outbuildings as well as companies within a 300-meter radius around the valley bridge are being examined for their condition from the inside and outside, the Westphalia branch of Autobahn GmbH announced on Friday.
Experts were commissioned with this “securing of evidence” to examine walls, roofs, retaining walls and fences over the next few weeks. Just outside the affected radius is the neo-Gothic church in Oberrahmede, which is a listed building and has been included in the list of buildings to be examined together with the vicarage. From the point of view of the experts, the church is particularly sensitive to shocks and is considered “particularly worthy of preservation” because of its historical significance.
It cannot be assumed that the blast in the vicinity of the bridge will cause “far-reaching” damage, it said. The structure will fall into a so-called fall bed, which largely absorbs the vibrations. Nevertheless, the church and all buildings would be recorded twice by the experts – i.e. before and after the blast. This is the only way to establish a possible connection in the event of damage.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) had promised a demolition this year. So far, however, no date has been mentioned. The bridge has been closed since the beginning of December, interrupting a central north-south axis throughout Germany. A new viaduct is to be built in an accelerated process – the Westphalia branch of Autobahn GmbH estimates that this will take around five years. As a result of the closure and the detour traffic, the regional economy and many residents, especially in Lüdenscheid, are complaining about heavy burdens.
