Two firms win €217m deal to replace Austrian ‘engineering marvel’

At 1.8km, the bridge is the longest on the Brenner motorway in the mountainous Tyrol region and snakes around a steep hillside.

Teams from Porr and Strabag will take six years to build a composite slab-girder bridge to replace the existing structure, which carries 32,000 vehicles a day and has reached the end of its service life.

Work will be divided into three stages, starting with the construction of one of two new superstructures, while traffic continues to run across the old bridge. The next stage will see traffic run in both directions along the first of the two new support structures, while demolition of the old bridge takes place, making way for construction of the second new support structure.

Work is due to start this year and client ASFINAG aims for traffic restrictions to come to an end by 2027.

Illustration showing the different stages of the Lueg bridge’s demolition and replacement (Image: ASFINAG)

The original bridge, which crosses difficult, mountainous terrain, is regarded as an Austrian engineering marvel. But Porr said that components at the four main structural joints of the bridge, built between 1966 and 1968, already presented a safety risk. That has required the construction of structural support consisting of steel stanchions topped by trusses below the existing bridge at four critical points. That work was completed in 2023.

PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss said, “Building the new Luegbrücke is a highly complex and challenging project with a very tight construction schedule. The extreme hillside location presents unparalleled logistical challenges for both the new construction and demolition, and the dimensions of the partial structure over the Sillschlucht gorge are also without peer in Austria.

“That’s why this project can only be handled by experts with a proven record in bridge construction. As PORR, we’re pleased to be able to provide our comprehensive know-how for this project.”

Klemens Haselsteiner, Strabag CEO, added, “The Luegbrücke, a key part of the Brenner motorway and one of Austria’s busiest traffic routes, has reached its load limit after more than half a century. Our aim is to quickly build a new bridge that meets the highest safety requirements and provides a reliable connection for many decades to come, by means of careful planning and the use of cutting-edge construction methods.”