Robust Temporary Bridge Solution for Rosenheim’s Key Traffic Artery
Facts and figures:
Place/Country: Rosenheim, Germany
Rental period: 2025 - 2026
Project type: Goliath Trägerbrücke, Mietbrücke
Client: Grossmann Bau
Description:
In April 2025, Waagner-Biro successfully installed a Goliath Beam Bridge in Rosenheim, Germany, ensuring that traffic could continue to flow smoothly across the Mangfall Canal while the city’s historic bridge undergoes a complete rebuild.
Meeting Rosenheim’s Infrastructure Challenge
The old bridge on Äußere Münchener Straße dated back to the 19th century and had last been significantly renovated in the 1960s. After decades of heavy use, its structure no longer complied with modern traffic requirements. With around 25,000 vehicles crossing daily, a complete closure of this key route would have caused severe disruption for the city and its residents.
To avoid such a scenario, the city council opted for a temporary bridge solution, awarding Waagner-Biro the contract to deliver a structure that could be installed within a short timeframe and carry the full weight of urban traffic loads.
Robust enough to handle today’s demanding transport needs, yet designed to be dismantled and reused once Rosenheim’s new permanent bridge is complete, the project illustrates why modular steel bridge systems are becoming indispensable for modern infrastructure projects.
Bridge Specifications
Span: 40.5 m (assembled from nine prefabricated modules, each 13.5 m)
Carriageway width: 7.5 m (two traffic lanes, based on 2.5 m wide modules)
Deck: non-slip epoxy resin surface with grit
Crash protection: H2 retention-class crash barriers, Eurocode-compliant
Drainage system: fully integrated
In addition to the road bridge, Waagner-Biro also delivered a temporary pedestrian bridge with a span of 39.6 m, based on a U-frame panel design and fitted with non-slip gratings.
The company’s scope of supply included the transport and rental of bridge modules, on-site supervision, and the provision of verifiable static calculations.
Installation and Engineering Excellence
Construction began in mid-April 2025. Although delivery of the heavy-lift cranes was briefly delayed, the experienced assembly team ensured progress remained on schedule. The bridge modules were lifted, aligned, and bolted together with precision.
A particular highlight was the dual-crane lift across the Mangfall Canal. First, one crane lifted an entire row of modules across the canal and positioned it within the working radius of a second crane on the opposite bank. The second crane then secured the free end of the row, and the final lift into position was carried out simultaneously by both cranes. The operation required absolute synchronisation, as the row of modules — weighing approximately 70 tonnes — had to be manoeuvred with millimetre accuracy before being fixed into place.
This carefully coordinated lifting sequence demonstrated the engineering expertise required to install a bridge of this scale in a constrained urban environment.
Flexible. Strong. Reusable.
The Rosenheim project underscores the engineering reliability, adaptability, and sustainability of the Goliath Beam Bridge. By combining strength with modular flexibility, Waagner-Biro ensures that critical traffic arteries can remain open during essential infrastructure upgrades — without compromising safety, performance, or future reusability.
