In order to continue to reliably ensure flood protection until the planned construction of the new Geeste barrage, important inspection and maintenance work is scheduled for the flood protection structure in the coming weeks: Both stem gates of line 1 of the barrage will be dismantled and then thoroughly inspected.
As part of these measures, the first of the two gates will be lifted out of the barrier by the floating crane “Athlet” during the night of May 19 to 20. The second gate will follow during the night of May 22 to 23. The work is scheduled to take place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The work is deliberately being carried out at night in order to minimize disruption to traffic flow, as the Kennedy Bridge will have to be raised temporarily for the dismantling work and will therefore be unavailable for road traffic. A diversion will be signposted for both directions.
Preliminary work will begin at the end of this week, ahead of the dismantling process. For example, the gates will be precisely measured once again, screw connections will be checked for functionality, and the gate bearings will be pumped up to ensure that the actual dismantling can be completed in one night. Bremenports is making every effort to minimize any potential disruption, such as noise from the dismantling work.
“The maintenance work is essential, also in view of the upcoming storm surge season, in order to continue to ensure flood protection in this area. Unfortunately, this is not possible without any restrictions on traffic and residents,” explains Lutz Jankowsky, Head of Technical Facilities at bremenports.
After removal and inspection, during which the gates will be thoroughly checked, the repair time is expected to be around three months. The exact duration of the repair work, which will include renewing the corrosion protection on both gates, ultimately depends on the condition of the steel structures. However, this can only be accurately assessed after dismantling. An exact date for the reinstallation of the gates, which will again be carried out in two night shifts, cannot therefore be given at this stage.
