On the city limits to the municipality of Unterföhring, an excavator and cable ducts burned under the Herzog-Heinrich-Bridge during the night. At 3:41 a.m., a unit of the professional fire brigade and the volunteer fire brigade from the district moved out to the Isar bridge. Both fires were quickly extinguished, after two hours the operation was over. The excavator was badly damaged and the power cables were destroyed.
What caused the fire is still unclear. In the past, arsonists had repeatedly targeted cable lines and construction machinery. Some of the acts were motivated by left-wing extremists. So far, however, there is no evidence of such a connection. The police have started the investigation.
The Herzog Heinrich Bridge has been under construction since April, and the road across the Isar is to be widened to four lanes. In the coming week it will become clear whether the fire will affect the construction work, the building authority will now clarify whether the completion will be delayed.
The fire department could not quantify the property damage. But because the concrete of the bridge had flaked off in several places due to the intense heat, the Föhringer Ring remains closed until a structural engineer can assess it. It is not known when this assessment will take place, according to the police, the bridge will remain closed until Monday. For car traffic, this means a significant impairment, it is advisable to drive around the area.