Holtenauer Hochbrücke: Freighter with a high crane rams bridges on November 30th, 2022. Both Holtenau high bridges and shipping traffic in the canal are completely closed for an indefinite period!
In the early morning, the heavy-duty freighter MERI, loaded with a high crane, wanted to pass the Kiel Canal from Holtenau to Brunsbüttel. But it already happened at the first bridge on the freighter’s route, the Holtennau High Bridge: The crane on the ship was too high and rammed both Holtenau High Bridges.
Both Holtenau high bridges were therefore closed to traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. And nothing has been going on the water since the morning hours, and the Kiel Canal has also been closed to shipping. Because as a result of the accident of the crane with the bridges, several heavy counterweights, needed to secure the crane, fell from the freighter into the Kiel Canal.
In the morning, the damage to the bridge was assessed with a drone. And it is now clear: the damage to the Holtenau high bridges is considerable. The bridges will therefore be completely closed to traffic for an indefinite period of time. In the next step, an external expert will draw up a report on the damage that has occurred.
The heavy-duty freighter Meri has moored in the Kiel Canal at the Nordhafen. Here, too, the damage must first be assessed before the freighter can continue its journey towards Brunsbüttel.
Due to the bridge closures, alternative routes over the Levensau high bridge were temporarily completely overloaded and a long traffic jam formed. If you wanted to cross the Holtenau high bridges by bus or bike, you had to use the Adler I canal ferry from Holtenau to the Wik (and vice versa) on November 30, 2022 due to the complete closure of the bridge.
Here at the ferry, too, there were longer waiting times, since the small canal ferry Adler I is not designed for such a large number of passengers who want to cross the canal.
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