The full closure, which is expected to last three months, was decided following intensive consultations between the City of Dresden's Road and Civil Engineering Department, the construction company Hentschke Bau GmbH and the Elbe Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA Elbe). On the night of 11 September 2024, parts of the bridge collapsed into the Elbe.
Demolition of the Carola Bridge
In the period from 4 June to the end of July 2025, the suspended girders of bridges A and B over the Elbe federal waterway are to be demolished, among other things. Further important measures are planned following the demolition work. Surveying work will be carried out to determine possible changes to the bed of the Elbe. This will be followed by dredging work to restore the original bed level. This work is crucial to ensure the safety and navigability of the waterway after the bridge demolition.
Traffic safety signalling and reopening
Once the dredging work has been completed, the WSA Elbe will carry out a traffic safety survey. This measure serves to precisely check the depth and condition of the navigation channel. The fairway will then be finally framed in the affected area to guarantee safety for subsequent navigation. According to the WSA, current plans assume that the work can be completed in August. If all safety inspections are successful, the Elbe federal waterway in the area of the Carola Bridge should be reopened to shipping traffic from the beginning of September 2025.
Information for shipping
The WSA Elbe has issued a shipping police order for the affected shipping. The Order number DD07/2025 has been published as a Notice to Skippers (NfB) in the Electronic Waterway Information Service (ELWIS). The validity of the order is specified here until 23:59 on 3 September 2025.
Carola Bridge to be rebuilt as early as 2027?
If Dresden's business community has its way, the construction of the new bridge should begin as early as 2027, but there is no consensus on what form it should take. The Dresden Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the Dresden Chamber of Crafts, together with other business organisations, have made an urgent appeal to the city council. In an open letter, they call for a fundamental decision to be made before the summer break in favour of a rapid four-lane replacement of the Carola Bridge.
