Just two months after a barge collided with the railway swing bridge over the River Hunte near Elsfleth, halting rail traffic, Deutsche Bahn has swiftly completed repairs, restoring crucial connectivity between Berne and Elsfleth. The rapid reconstruction utilized heavy equipment like floating cranes and dredgers to dismantle the damaged bridge and install a temporary structure, ensuring minimal disruption to freight and passenger services.
The bridge is of great importance for the region, facilitating access to the ports on the left bank of the Weser, especially Nordenham and Brake. However, the temporary bridge, while enabling rail traffic, restricts shipping due to its fixed position. Plans for a new movable bridge are already underway, with a fast-track procedure being considered to expedite construction and restore unrestricted navigation on the Hunte as soon as possible.