Trade Press Tour at NordBau 2025: Site Visit to the Rader High Bridge

Traditionally, the trade press tour organised by NordBau took place on Tuesday before the start of the NordBau trade fair and LECTURA participated in the event. The excursion led to the major construction site of the Rader Hochbrücke – one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Germany and Europe.

On site, the trade press gained exclusive insights into the progress of the works and the technical and logistical challenges involved in a project of this scale.

Key Figures of the Project

• Total bridge length: 1,500 m

• Total construction length: approx. 5.3 km

• Six-lane cross-section

• 6.9 km of noise and wind protection walls

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Project Background

The Rader Hochbrücke carries the A7 motorway east of Rendsburg across the Kiel Canal and the Borgstedter Enge. Opened in 1972, the nearly 1,500-meter-long structure is a crucial traffic link to Denmark and Scandinavia.

After partial closures in 2013 due to concrete wear and structural recalculations in 2014 that confirmed a remaining service life only until 2026, the replacement project was officially launched in April 2023.

By the end of 2026, a consortium led by Implenia Construction GmbH will complete the eastern section of the new bridge, with a contract value of €307 million. Traffic will then be diverted to this new structure, allowing the current bridge to be dismantled. From 2028 onwards, construction of the western section will begin, with overall completion expected by 2030.

At the same time, four additional structures (underpasses L 42 Rendsburger Straße, Rader Weg, Dieksredder, and overpass L 47 Kieler Straße) are being built, and the A7 between the Büdelsdorf junction and the Rendsburg interchange is being expanded to six lanes.

Spotlight on the Trade Press

For the attending, the tour offered a unique opportunity to discuss directly with project managers about technical innovations, construction challenges, and the project’s significance for European north-south transport. In this way, NordBau continues its tradition of linking the fair with hands-on insights into the construction industry.