Collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden

"This catastrophe caught us off guard"

On September 11, 2024, one of the most important Elbe bridges in Dresden - a lifeline for the city - partially collapsed. The footpath and streetcar rails of the western bridge C suddenly collapsed over a length of almost 100 m and ended up in the Elbe. Miraculously, there were no injuries and the last streetcar had crossed the bridge just a few minutes earlier. The remaining bridges were closed immediately, there is a danger to life.

In parallel to the safety and demolition work that has now begun on the partially collapsed bridge, the investigation into the cause is in full swing. The Otto Mohr Laboratory at TU Dresden is currently involved in taking samples. The aim is to determine the cause of the collapse as accurately as possible in order to draw lessons and recommendations for action for similar bridge structures as quickly as possible and to prevent further cases of damage.

Further information and an assessment by Prof. Steffen Marx from the Institute of Concrete Structures (IMB), TU Dresden is currently available, for example, in an interview on NDR-Info:

NDR-Info interview with Prof. Steffen Marx

Both Steffen Marx and Manfred Curbach have already visited the site of the accident (several times) and are available to assist the crisis team and representatives of the press with their in-depth specialist knowledge.