Full speed ahead in the Odenwald

Last Thursday, 26 February 2026, a distinguished visitor arrived at our construction site for the Zell viaduct in Bad König, in the beautiful Odenwald region. The Hessian Minister of Economics and Transport, Kaweh Mansoori, announced the schedule for the new construction of the bridge, which had to be closed almost a year ago. This was because cracks were discovered in the concrete at the end of April 2025, whereupon the viaduct, which carries the Odenwald railway and the Mümling river, was closed for the safety of all road users.

In his speech, the Hessian Minister of Economics and Transport emphasised the importance of the speedy construction of the new bridge for the region: "The B 45 with the Zell Bridge is the main traffic artery in the Odenwald. We know what the closure means for the people and companies in the region on a daily basis. That's why every day counts. We are keeping up the Odenwald pace and are now creating planning certainty with a clear timeline until the planned opening to traffic in June 2027. We are setting the next major milestone with the ground-breaking ceremony at the end of April, exactly one year after the old structure was closed. It is the commitment of everyone involved, but also the modern and unbureaucratic way of working that is driving planning and construction forward at this speed. I would therefore like to thank everyone who has helped, in the authorities, in the municipalities, at Deutsche Bahn, at the construction company Eiffage and its partners and at Hessen Mobil."

In the evening, our client, Hessen Mobil, together with the town of Bad König, organised a public information event to inform the public about the planned construction and schedule. Our project team provided support with a short presentation and then answered questions from the public.

The timetable for the new bridge construction at a glance:

• Functional lump sum tender in August 2025✍️
• Submission at the beginning of November 2025🏆
• Commissioning of Eiffage Infra-Süd GmbH at the end of December 2025
• Since February 2026: Earthworks, woodland works for construction site facilities, erection of reptile protection fence
• End of April 2026: Ground-breaking ceremony and start of construction
• From May 2026: Deep foundations for the new pairs of piers
• Closure breaks in July and October 2026 (both during the Hessian holidays) for the construction of the south abutment and construction of the supporting structure above the railway line for the formwork of the superstructure
• November 2026: Concreting of the superstructure👍
• Winter 2026/2027 (weather permitting): Construction of the caps and sealing, road construction work, dismantling of the construction road and temporary bridge
• June 2027: planned opening to traffic🚗🚙🚚

We'll be back with the next report from the Odenwald by the ground-breaking ceremony at the latest.