Last week, Martin Grassl, our managing partner, and Tobias Riebesehl, the Nordstern Bridge project manager in Hamburg, took part in the ESBA 2024 Awards in Prague.

The U81 Nordstern Bridge in Düsseldorf won the European Steelbridge Award 2024 in the Road and Railway Bridges category. With the construction of the U81 city rail line, Düsseldorf Airport will be connected to the urban city rail network and local public transport will be improved. The bridge leads over the A44 and B8 and the Nordstern traffic interchange in a 90° curve with a 225 m radius. The six-span, 441 m long bridge was built with an incremental launching process. Its largest span is 82 m and crosses the A44. The superstructure consisting of airtight steel truss girders will be rigidly connected to the abutments. This allows the bridge to "breathe" when it expands and contracts under varying temperatures.

We are immensely proud of our Dusseldorf and Hamburg project team, which plays a significant role in the design of the first construction phase of the U81. We would also like to thank ARGE Wayss & Freytag, Implenia and MCE, as well as our engineering and architecture partners and our client, the Düsseldorf state administration, for the pleasant and productive collaboration.