The footage shared by Die Autobahn shows the replacement of the Rahmede Viaduct has entered an advanced stage.

Located near Menden in North Rhine-Westphalia, the new structure replaces a 1960s bridge found to have severe structural issues, including girder deformation, corrosion, and cracks. The old viaduct was demolished by controlled explosion in May 2023, with construction of the new bridge starting the same October. To ensure safety, the steep slopes at the site were stabilised with shotcrete and anchors.

The new bridge consists of two parallel structures carrying three lanes of traffic towards Frankfurt and Dortmund. With a main span of 107.5m, each superstructure features a 4.6m-deep hollow steel box supported by four abutments and eight reinforced concrete piers up to 70m tall. External diagonals help support the cantilevered slabs.

Construction began with the incremental launch of one carriageway to enable traffic to be rerouted before completing the second. Two auxiliary concrete pillars were built to support installation of the deck, which started in September 2024. Yellow launch noses helped push both halves of the bridge across the valley from opposite sides. Launching continued through winter despite snow and freezing temperatures.

By February 2025, both halves reached their support points, and the launch noses were removed to allow the structure to be joined. The southern half was first lifted to the correct height and then welded to the northern section.

Deck concreting began in March using two formwork travellers. By May, the first 24m deck sections were completed on both ends of the carriageway. Next steps include waterproofing and asphalting the completed deck sections.

A joint venture formed by SSF Ingenieure, Eberhardt Ingenieure and Schüssler-Plan is overseeing construction, supervision, and production monitoring. The design was created by Grassl, while a consortium of Habau, Bickhardt Bau, and MCE is handling planning and construction.

The first carriageway is set to open in 2026, with full completion of the viaduct expected in 2027.