Status: 08/26/2022 07:21 a.m
The work to remove the dome of the sunken lighthouse in Bremerhaven is to be continued today. Yesterday the fourth attempt to withdraw it had failed.
As port operator Bremenports announced last night, the cupola that had been cut out had not moved in several attempts. It may be heavier than the calculated five tons. It could also be that it is still connected to the tower at one point.
New start planned for today
The dome was originally supposed to be lifted off on Wednesday. A week ago the pier on the Weser had lowered. The historic lighthouse, which is around 20 meters high – a landmark of Bremerhaven – has been in a dangerously crooked position ever since. The rescue operation is scheduled to continue today.
Eight metal bars thwart the schedule
Already on Wednesday there was a setback in the schedule for saving the listed dome. After days of preparation, a crane was to lift the top of the tower and transfer it to a pontoon. Then the workers discovered eight massive metal rods inside the curve. They weren’t cut in time.
Outside railings and beacons should also come down
According to Bremenports, in addition to the dome, the outer railing and the beacon should also be saved. Railings and beacons are to be reused with the dome when the tower is rebuilt. As a template for the planned reconstruction, experts took 3D images of the tower with a drone last weekend. With the help of these pictures, the tower is to be rebuilt true to the original as part of the new construction of the pier. “Bremerhaven will get the tower back,” Bremenports spokesman Holger Bruns had promised.
Changed plans for tower demolition
The experts have now backed away from the original plan of toppling the brick building onto a pontoon in a controlled manner after dismantling the dome, railings and beacon. It was said that too many parts of the wall would get into the harbor basin. Alternatively, the tower could be demolished using demolition shears.
Beacon in operation since 1914
The lighthouse stands on the north pier at the entrance to the fishing port in Bremerhaven. According to the city, it was put into operation in 1914 and has been under monument protection since 2001. The north mole is owned by the State of Bremen, the tower with its active beacon belongs to the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration. The pier had sunk in the night of last Thursday.
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