Pont des Allemands, Visé, Liège, Belgium - Railroad Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Pont des Allemands, in use since 1917, has long been one of the most remarkable works of art on the Belgian railway network. Every day about 80 freight trains cross this bridge around the Maas, in the direction of Germany or the port of Antwerp.

A century after construction, and after partial repair in the beginning of the 1990s, the viaduct was in urgent need of a rejuvenation cure. In the context of the complete renovation of this exceptional viaduct, the new bridge deck was installed, which was pre-assembled on the site. It was the most spectacular phase of these works, spread over 2 years.
The old metal layers (which form the bridge from shore to shore) were first disassembled one by one, after which they were replaced by the new structures, which are a mix of steel and concrete. For the dismantling, a working pontoon was used, on which containers were stacked, under the bridge layers to be removed. The ballasts of the working pontoon (with water) were then emptied, causing the raft to rise and lift the bridge layers. This way the bridge layers were removed. The new bridge could be installed on its final location on Tuesday.

The new bridge layers, each weighing between 200 and 500 tonnes and being between 40 and 100 meters long, were prefabricated in different parts in the workshops before they were assembled on the site itself.

The installation was facilitated by the design of the viaduct. The designers had provided concrete pillars a century ago that provided space for 4 tracks next to each other. In the end only 2 tracks were finished. In July, the available space was therefore used to place the new elements there, in anticipation of the works of last weekend and today. These new elements had to be moved only a few meters before their final placement.

The renovation costs for the Pont des Allemands amount to 14 million euros, fully financed by Infrabel. The works must be completed in the course of 2018. This includes the renewal of the other parts of the railway infrastructure: the tracks, but also the overhead lines (the electrical supply cables above the track). The 8 concrete pillars were also strengthened.

Bridge Usage: Railroad Moving Bridge: This bridge is static (has no moving pieces) Bridge Type: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/18/2018 azimutbe visited it