Carola Bridge collapse - state parliament discusses consequences

One year after the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden, the Saxon state parliament has discussed the consequences. "The fall of the Carola Bridge has taught us lessons," said Infrastructure Minister Regina Kraushaar (CDU) during the current debate at the request of the SPD parliamentary group. We need to take a closer look at every detail, set priorities and spend money on bridge safety. Open communication and swift action are needed.

One of the three strands of the Carola Bridge collapsed unexpectedly on the night of 11 September 2024 over a length of around 100 meters. There were no injuries. Since then, Saxony has carried out special tests on 19 prestressed concrete bridges with a similar design. Kraushaar pointed out the progress made, for example on the B101 bridge in Großenhain and the Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau. "That is our line: rapid relief now and planning security for tomorrow," said Kraushaar.

SPD wants to reduce investment backlog

A functioning infrastructure is vital, said SPD MP Albrecht Pallas. "The investment backlog in our country, but also in our municipalities, must be cleared." He spoke out in favor of faster planning and approval processes.

Ralf Böhme (BSW) criticized the lack of funding for bridges and the road network in Saxony. Only 23 to 25 million euros had been earmarked in the 2025/2026 double budget, while 20 million euros were needed annually for the maintenance of bridges alone. Tobias Keller (AfD) described the condition of the roads and bridges in Saxony as a "disaster". He criticized the financing of the necessary investments through loans.

Condition of 8,000 municipal bridges not recorded

Greens and Left Party drew attention to the financial bottlenecks of the municipalities. Saxony has 8,000 municipal bridges whose condition is not systematically known, said Katja Meier (Greens). "There is still an undreamt-of need for renovation and financing here." Cities and municipalities were postponing renovations because they lacked the money, said Rico Gebhardt (Left Party). "Anyone who ignores the problem of local authority finances should not be surprised about ailing infrastructures."