Detour routes will be set up for both directions. The ships on the canal under the bridge will be guided in one lane. The city of Salzgitter has coordinated with all affected companies and various authorities. Residents were informed accordingly at the local council meetings.

"The bridge is strategically important on the K39 and is used frequently, especially by lorries," emphasizes city councillor Michael Tacke. But a full closure cannot be avoided; however, two detour routes are being set up, which are a good alternative.

The bridge was built with a load class of 60 tons. Bridge inspections in recent years have included weld seam inspections, which have shown that some of the weld seams on the hangers need to be replaced. An engineering firm was commissioned to recalculate the bridge on the basis of the increasing load on the bridge due to heavy goods traffic and the available results of the bridge inspection. "The bridge, which is around 103 meters long, is showing signs of fatigue," says Torsten Fleige-Lütgering. The question of whether the bridge should be renovated or rebuilt was discussed. "A new construction would cost around 10-12 million euros; the renovation will now cost around 2.4 million euros," explains Michael Tacke. In addition, many years of preliminary planning work would be necessary for a new bridge. It is therefore more economical to renovate the bridge.