Time to put the spotlights on a famous bridge :
Oberbaumbruecke
Static system
Historic massive vaults over seven bays with studded elevated railway viaduct (old), middle section of reinforced concrete. For elevated railway, new preflex continuous beams on pendulum frame and middle section as steel frame
Foundation
Spread pier foundations (old)
Equipment
Railway facilities, historical bridge facilities (weir towers, gables, coats of arms)
Design
1894: bridge construction office, head Dr. James Hobrecht and architect Otto Stahn, 1992: central construction and modern design Architect Dr. Santiago Calatrava Valls SA, Paris/Zürich and WKP Planungsbüro für Bauwesen GmbH, Berlin; Historical construction ABKB, Berlin, with Prof. Deiters, Berlin
Execution
Arge Wiederherstellung der Oberbaumbrücke Phillip Holzmann AG, Berlin; E. Heitkamp GmbH, Berlin; Gebr. Kemmer GmbH, Berlin
Building costs
approx. DM 70 million
Construction period
1894 - 1902
Refurbishment: 1992 - 1995
Overall length
150 m
Clear span of openings
7.50 m, 16 m, 19 m, 22 m, 19 m, 16 m, 7.50 m
Total width
27.90 m
Effective width
22 m
Building height
Middle opening 1 m
Bridge area
4,185 sq.m
The Oberbaumbrücke was constructed over the River Spree in 1724 as a wooden bridge. For centuries it was by far the longest bridge in Berlin. In 1894 it was renewed as a solid construction with seven vaults and a studded viaduct to accommodate the first elevated railway in Berlin. Because of its location in the border area between West and East Berlin, the bridge which was blown up during World War II could not be reinstated until after reunification as a link between the districts of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. More extensive refurbishment of its historical appearance involved upgrading the road surface by using reinforced and pre-stressed concrete. The elevated railway was given a completely new load bearing construction. The middle opening was closed as a counter point to the form with a modern steel frame whereas in the side areas preflex supports on steel frames were incorporated into the viaduct. After specification of the definitive design, construction work could begin in 1992. In order to accelerate work, a temporary pedestrian bridge was erected downstream.
In time for the fifth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall the roadway and the lower side walkway were reopened on 9 November 1994. With the integration of the strutted frame in April 1995, the last gap was closed in the elevated railway connection to the station Warschauer Straße to the north of Oberbaumbrücke. This meant that the route extension could be used as planned in October 1995.