Spanning nearly a kilometer this is the Lőbtauer Brücke. It is not just a bridge but a testament to Dresden’s resilience. The Lőbtauer Brücke is also known as Lőbtauer Hochstraße. It stands as an elevated highway. It forms part of Dresden’s Äußere Stadtring. This outer city ring connects Cotta with the Südvortsadt.
Imagine Dresden in the 1960s. Planners envisioned extending the Nossener Brücke. This was to ease traffic. The Kesselsdorfer Straße was overwhelmed. It was not designed for the growing traffic to Gorbitz. Gorbitz was a new housing development.
Fast forward to 1988. Construction began. The project involved demolishing buildings near the planned route. This included structures around Willi-Ermer-Platz which is now Ebertplatz. The initial plan was a 360-meter extension of the Nossener Brücke. It was supposed to reach behind the Wernerplatz.
The winds of change swept through Germany. The construction was controversial. In 1991, a construction stop was ordered by Ingolf Rossberg. He was the city’s construction mayor.
Extensive replanning occurred. The bridge was extended to the Emerich-Ambros-Ufer. This required demolishing some completed sections. Construction restarted in 1993. It continued until 1996. The Bauunion Süd managed the construction. It emerged from the VEB Autobahnbaukombinat.
In 1996, the name Lőbtauer Brücke was officially assigned. The grand opening took place on November 29, 1996. It marked a new chapter for Dresden’s infrastructure.
After the Bramschtunnel opened, Bundesstraße 173 was rerouted. It shifted from Kesselsdorfer Straße to a route that included the Lőbtauer Brücke.
By October 2011, around 40,000 vehicles used the bridge daily. Heavy goods vehicles accounted for 5%.
In the summer of 2015, the Lőbtauer Brücke underwent repairs. Damaged parts were replaced. Expansion joints and seals were renewed. A new asphalt surface was laid. The cost was approximately half a million euros.
The Lőbtauer Brücke stretches 998 meters. It begins in Lőbtau. It acts as an extension of the Nossener Brücke near the power plant. Ramps connect Kesselsdorfer Straße, Freiberger Straße and Lőbtauer/Tharandter Straße. The bridge crosses the Weisseritz River at Ebertplatz. It follows the river towards Cotta and Friedrichstadt. The bridge splits into two ramps. One is on the Cotta side. The other is on the Friedrichstadt side. This division is necessary. The Emerich-Ambros-Ufer has one-way traffic flow on each side.
The Lőbtauer Brücke stands as one of Dresden’s elevated highways. The Lőbtauer Brücke is vital for Dresden’s traffic.