The successful demolition of an autobahn bridge in Germany has shortened the project by six months.

Autobahn, the agency responsible for Germany’s motorways, is replacing the Thalaubach Valley Bridge. One new section opened to traffic in August alongside the two old sections, which were demolished last week.

The operation on the 40m high structures used 100kg of explosives and 1,000 detonators. The superstructure fell as planned on to the impact bed, and inspectors were soon able to deliver the news that the new structure was intact and safe for traffic.

Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport said, “The controlled demolition will shorten the overall project duration on the A7 by six to eight months. We are making significantly faster progress than initially planned and are demonstrating in Eichenzell what 'Germany's speed' means.”

The second new section will be completed at the end of 2028.