Motorway maintenance is a highly disruptive process. Trailer manufacturer Cometto has been working with the Swiss Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) to develop a solution that minimises the impact on the public.
ASTRA decided to develop and build a mobile bridge that allows motorway resurfacing without obstructing traffic.
Named the ASTRA Bridge, the 240 m-long structure is built above the roadway to be resurfaced. Traffic is diverted onto the bridge in two lanes, with motorists able to travel at 60 km/h. Around 100 m is available under the bridge for actual construction work. Once the work under the bridge is finished, the mobile bridge is moved a further 100 m by remote control
The bridge itself consists of a drive-on ramp, 18 portals, 19 intermediate sections and a departure ramp. Cometto will supply 22 power packs, 22 valve packs, two control cabins, 72 MSPE bogies for the gantries, eight SPMT bogies for the ramps, 16 ModulMAX SP-E bogies for the ramps and the satellite navigation system for the complete bridge.
The first bridge sections were completed on July 26, 2021. All the parts are scheduled for completion in late autumn, when the ASTRA Bridge will be tested as a whole. It will then go into use in spring 2022, when surface replacement is planned as a pilot project on the A1 section between Recherswil and Luterbach.
