Three WOLFF Cranes Support Spectacular Aurach Valley Bridge Project

• Three WOLFF 7534.16 Clear cranes supported the demolition and reconstruction of the Aurach Valley Bridge on the A1 West Motorway in Upper Austria.

• The cranes, installed on tall towers with a maximum load capacity of 16.5 tons, handled heavy materials and equipment throughout the three-year project.

• Complex logistics and strict safety and environmental regulations were managed successfully with Wolffkran's support.

• A notable engineering feat involved laterally shifting the bridge deck onto new piers using hydraulics and sliding tracks.

• Habau, a long-standing Wolffkran customer since 2008, chose these cranes for their high load capacity and freestanding hook height.

After more than three years of construction, the new Aurach Bridge near the Regau junction in Upper Austria was opened to traffic at the beginning of September. Three WOLFF cranes of the type WOLFF 7534.16 Clear were involved in the demolition and reconstruction of the A1 West Motorway bridge on behalf of the Habau/Porr joint venture. Long-standing Wolffkran customer Habau provided the flat-top cranes, each with a maximum load capacity of 16.5 tons, for this major project. Installed in 2022, the cranes were mounted on two 77.6-meter towers and one 64.1-meter tower.

They were used both for the demolition of the old bridge and for transporting reinforcing steel, formwork elements, precast concrete components, construction vehicles, and for concreting the new superstructures and piers. Freestanding loads of up to 13 tons were lifted. After around three years on site, the cranes were dismantled in March 2025.

Assembly and dismantling required precise logistics due to limited space between highway traffic, railway tracks, and a stream. Numerous safety and water protection regulations had to be observed. Thanks to careful site planning with support from the Wolffkran team, the work was carried out smoothly. The cranes were equipped with slew limiters and cameras to facilitate load handling and increase safety.

For the new bridge, a side-position bridge was first built next to the old bridge to keep traffic flowing. The old bridge was then demolished, a new bridge in its final position constructed next to the side-position bridge, and in spring 2025 the deck built in the side position was spectacularly shifted laterally onto the newly built piers in their final position using hydraulics and sliding tracks.

Habau has relied on Wolffkran since 2008. For the Aurach Valley project, the decisive factor was the high load capacity combined with the large freestanding hook height of the WOLFF 7534.16 Clear.