Construction of the Salzach Railway Bridge, an innovative and uniquely engineered construction in Salzburg

The new railway bridge crossing the Salzach River for the new suburban railway (S-Bahn) is more than just a bridge. It is a unique structure in terms of its architecture and engineering. In addition to the architecturally pleasing design of the slender main span, the bridge increases flooding safety, due to fewer piers, for the city of Salzburg and also allows for a greater rail traffic intensity. The Salzach River bridge is the largest single structure in the S-Bahn-Project and will carry Intercity and freight trains as well as passenger trains. Furthermore, it will be a major component of the high-capacity Paris-Budapest line. At present already more than 300 trains pass the bridge daily, which put severe time constraints on construction phases. For the Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) and the City of Salzburg, Bernard Engineers were able to balance the demands of the unique architectural design by Hall 1 Architects, which allowed for no standard details, and a sound structural concept.