Construction work is underway for the Rahmede Viaduct in Germany but will now cost considerably more than envisaged initially. In 2023 the project was expected to cost €154.8 million. But the work is now expected to cost €270.8 million.
The viaduct is located near Menden in North Rhine-Westphalia. The new structure is being built to replace a viaduct that was erected in the 1960s. The old viaduct was in need of attention and the initial plan was to rehabilitate its structure, which in 2014 was expected to cost €43 million. But investigations into the viaduct revealed that the concrete structure was in a worse state than previously anticipated with extensive cracking and it was closed to traffic in 2021. This meant it having to be demolished, with a new dual viaduct having to be erected in its place at considerably greater cost. In May 2023, explosive demolition was used to remove the old viaduct and after the rubble had been cleared away, construction work on the new viaduct commenced.
The first of the new viaducts opened to traffic in December 2025, considerably ahead of schedule. The viaduct is 453m in length while it has a maximum height of 70m and its longest span is 107.5m. The project is challenging technically, which has been a factor in the cost increase. Other factors include the increased cost of materials and labour since the COVID 19 epidemic.
Construction is being carried out jointly by HABAU Hoch- und Tiefbaugesellschaft, Bickhardt Bau and MCE. Construction management is being carried out as a joint venture by SSF Ingenieure, Eberhardt Ingenieure and Schüssler Plan for the client, Autobahn GmbH des Bundes.
