Rugenbrucke

Rugenbrucke is a pre-stressed concrete cable-stayed bridge that spans the Strelasund between the German City of Stralsund and Rugen Island, Germany. The bridge was built to replace the aging Rugendamm, which will remain in service to provide a rail link and serve local traffic to Danholm island.

Rugenbrucke

Official name                                Strelasundquerung

Crosses                                         Strelasund

Locale                                           Stralsund and Rügen Island, Germany

Designer                                       Andre Keipke

Design                                          Continuous pre-stressed concrete cable-stayed bridge

Material                                        Steel, concrete

Piers in water                               19

Total length                                  2,831 metres (9,290 ft)

Width                                           3 traffic lanes

Height                                          126 metres (410 ft)

Longest span                                198 metres (650 ft)

Clearance below                           42 metres (140 ft)

Beginning date of construction      August 31, 2004

Completion date                           October 20, 2007

Opening date                                October 22, 2007

Rugendamm is the name of the original road connecting Rugen Island with the City of Stralsund on the mainland of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The road was built in the 1930s and opened in October 1936. The Rugendamm consists of two parts:

- Strelasundbrucke is a 1.8 kilometres long bridge and causeway spanning the Strelasund; its length is 1.8 kilometres and

- Ziegelgrabenbrucke, a bascule bridge over the Ziegelgraben. This bridge opens several times a day to allow for the passage of large ships. Prior to the construction of the new Rugenbrucke, the drawbridge bridge was a source of major traffic congestion.

The Rügendamm provides the only road and rail access to Danholm island.

In 2004, construction of a new bridge commenced, called the 2. Strelasundquerung. German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the new bridge on October 20, 2007. The name of this new bridge is Rugenbrucke (Rugen bridge). The connection has a length of 4.1 kilometres, the new bridge is 2,831 metres long and the center pylon is 128 metres tall. The new bridge crosses but does not provide access to Danholm island.