Status: 11/30/2022 11:01 p.m
According to police reports, a crane boom transported on the freighter “Meri” damaged the Holtenau high bridges in Kiel on Wednesday morning. They are therefore closed to traffic for the time being. The investigations of the experts continue. Shipping traffic on the Kiel Canal is now running again.
The cargo ship from Finland crashed into the Holtenau high bridges in the Schleswig-Holstein state capital early on Wednesday morning. Bridge inspectors have now found damage to the structures. This was announced by the State Office for Road Construction and Traffic (LBV.SH) in Kiel in the early afternoon. “The special team was already able to determine that there are deformations on the crossbeams on both bridges as well as numerous cracks on the weld seams and also seam tears,” explained the responsible business unit manager Susan Müller. She estimates the damage caused to be in the six-figure range.
Further examination takes several days
The high bridges will remain closed to car traffic, cyclists and pedestrians for the time being. Another external expert should examine the damage and the effects on stability and road safety more closely, as Müller explained. Then further steps would be decided together with the experts from LBV.SH. That will probably take several days, said the state company. It is therefore unclear when the closures will be lifted. Safety comes first, says Müller. Only ambulances and fire engines are allowed to cross the bridges at walking speed in individual cases.
Traffic is diverted
The B503 is one of the most important roads in the Kiel region. Many drivers use the Holtenau high bridges to drive to work in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district or in Kiel. Traffic is currently being diverted. According to the police, drivers should avoid the B76 via Altenholz.
On Wednesday at 4:37 a.m., the heavy-duty and work ship “Meri” hit and damaged the Holtenau high bridges with a crane boom that it was transporting. The freighter was sailing under the Finnish flag on the canal towards Brunsbüttel (Dithmarschen district). According to the current status of the investigation, no one was injured. Since then, all bridge lanes have been closed.
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Consequences for bus traffic in Kiel
According to the Kieler Verkehrsgesellschaft (KVG), there are also restrictions for commuters who use public transport. According to KVG spokeswoman Andrea Kobarg, the buses from Strande, Schilksee and Holtenau are currently only going to the passenger ferry in Holtenau. There, passengers can cross the Kiel Canal. According to the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA), the “Adler 1” ferry can carry around 50 people and around 20 bicycles per trip. According to the WSA, it runs unscheduled every 15 minutes – and continuously in 24-hour operation. Nevertheless, queues formed on Wednesday.
According to the city of Kiel, a strengthening of the ferry connection at this point is being examined together with the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV). The KVG is also working on an emergency timetable. If the bridges remain closed for a longer period of time, it should come into force in the coming days. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that the four districts of Kiel beyond the Holtenauer Hochbrücke remain connected to the city center in the coming days,” said Kiel’s Lord Mayor Ulf Kampfer (SPD) on Wednesday.
Ship traffic released again without restrictions
The Kiel Canal, which was temporarily closed in both directions, was reopened to shipping traffic without restrictions on Wednesday evening. The police in Kiel confirmed this to the NDR. The waterways and shipping administration had previously announced that the freighter had also lost several heavy concrete weights in the collision, which had fallen to the bottom of the NOK. Experts therefore checked whether they need to be removed.
In addition, according to WSA information, it turned out that the crane on the deck of the wrecked freighter was so badly damaged by the accident that it was no longer safe. Passing ships could cause further damage, a spokesman said. The freighter itself may not be moved either. A crane specialist is scheduled to assess the situation on Thursday.
Water police are investigating the cause of the accident
Investigators are now examining how the collision could have happened. According to the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA), all necessary safety checks were carried out before the freighter entered the canal. In the lock from the Kiel Fjord into the canal, the height of the ships would normally be measured with a laser, explained Jörg Brockmann from the WSA. “That wasn’t possible in this case because they couldn’t shoot the crane with the laser, because it was black and it was dark.”
Therefore, the information provided by the shipping company was relied upon and the ship lowered with ballast water. According to the WSA, the loading papers indicated a height of 38 meters. The freighter should actually have fit under the high bridge. The water police now want to interview various witnesses. The freighter itself is also still under investigation.
Mayor Kampfer: Better prevent such accidents in the future
Kiel’s Lord Mayor Ulf Kaempfer (SPD) thanked everyone involved for their prudent actions on Wednesday after the accident. “Such an accident is associated with a lot of stress, cancellations, waiting times and detours for everyone involved,” he said. The important thing now is to get the bridges working again as quickly as possible. In addition, fighters emphasized that the right conclusions had to be drawn from the incident. “Because this isn’t the first incident of this kind, it has to be a question of better preventing such accidents.”
Madsen: Set up strategies as soon as possible
Transport and Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen (independent) also agreed. But first the background would have to be clarified. He is glad no one was hurt. The economic damage is immense, but the effects are also significant for the citizens who can no longer cross the bridges. Therefore, a plan must now be drawn up as soon as possible to restore the infrastructure. “We’ll set up strategies tomorrow, whether it’s hours, days, weeks or months, and then we’ll see how we can best deal with it.”
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