At the end of the year, we take another look at the renovation work on the Scholmwehr Bridge. Unfortunately, the renovation has come to a standstill because the rivets with which the individual elements are to be connected in a manner appropriate to the monument could not be delivered. In the meantime, the rivets have arrived and the bridge is being worked on diligently.
Dear Lauterberger and guests, who painfully miss the short crossing from the Kirchberg to the city and back: Be patient for a while and look forward with us, the support group, to a Scholmwehr bridge that will shine again in its old splendor next year.

Translation of the newspaper article

Anyone whose Christmas stroll was supposed to take them across the Oder River on the completely restored Scholmwehr Bridge will be disappointed: the approximately 115-year-old structure will not be rebuilt before Christmas, as was originally planned. Christian Mühl, second chairman of the Königshütte promotion group, which looks after the Lauterberger landmark, reports that a delay of about one month is to be expected.

The reason is that the rivets with which iron parts are connected were delivered too late. Otherwise, the renovation work, which began in September of this year with the spectacular dismantling of the Scholmwehr bridge - large parts were lifted onto transporters by crane (we reported) - is progressing well.

Concrete contractor Domeier from Rhumspringe finished long ago. "The company has worked very neatly," praises Mühl. The workers prepared the concrete piers for the later assembly of the iron parts. To do this, the upper part of each pier was first removed - when a find was made, the old cast iron plates on which the iron girders of the bridge were originally fixed. In the past, concrete was simply poured on top of them, which also caused the old expansion joints to lose their effect. Mühl: "The cast iron plates were lifted out, sandblasted and look like new."

Likewise, for example, the wooden planks for the footpath of the bridge structure have been delivered - even if it took a while, according to Mühl. For example, the abrasion per year by walkers had to be factored in. The heavy wood of the Siberian larch is taken.

As soon as the iron bridge over the Scholmwehr is back at the end of January, lightning protection and the lamps, for example, which Wrobel from Osterhagen had dismantled, can also be reinstalled. "The companies are ready."

The locksmith Kälz from Bad Sachsa is also very far, although they had to wait for the new rivets, explained Mühl further.

The iron bridge, which was disassembled into just a few large pieces, first arrived in Bad Sachsa by truck, where, among other things, the railings were dismantled, and the wooden planks removed. Then the bridge parts went on to the Kälz warehouses in Barbis, where the actual restoration work takes place. Robin Kälz shows how extensive the work on the historic components of the bridge is during a tour.

In front of the large hall, a compressor is making a lot of noise: an employee in a protective uniform is sandblasting the bridge parts to free them from old paint and rust.

In the hall, the employees are painting the iron parts, but before that they replace some parts that are too affected by rust and no longer meet safety standards.

At a drilling machine, an employee is preparing drill holes for riveting. Robin Kälz estimates that about 600 rivets will have to be replaced. These are the rivets that have only recently arrived, delaying assembly in Bad Lauterberg's spa district.

Almost the entire warehouse is lined with parts needed to renovate the historic bridge. Among them are the metal parts of the weir, such as heavy gear wheels. They, too, are being refurbished at Kälz. Christian Mühl explains that broken bolts on gear racks, for example, must be replaced. All the mechanics needed to dam up the Oder had worked until the end and will, of course, be reinstalled.

Functions remain, and so does the appearance. And what's more, as much old steel as possible will be preserved. "People should still be able to see in 100 years how things were built back then," says Mühl, who also points out that there will be a film of the restoration work later.

text: Kjell Sonnemann/HarzKurier - photos: Rolf Steinke/HarzKurier

*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***