Borrevejle Vig

When the bridge at Borrevejle Vig in Roskilde Fjord needed replacement, MT Højgaard had to think of alternative ways to remove the bridge. We chose an unconventional method where we cut up the bridge.

At Borrevejle Vig in the southern part of Roskilde Fjord a bridge deck needed to be replaced because of corrosion. Since the bridge crosses a combined wetland and nature preservation area, the usual methods of bridge demolition could not be used.

Together with the client, the Danish Road Directorate, a more expensive but safer method of executing the task was chosen – to cut the entire 115 metre bridge away.

Blocks of 15-25 tons

The asphalt was first taken off the bridge and the membrane removed, so that the many tons of concrete that had to be disposed of were clean and therefore cheaper to deposit.

A 700 metre cut was then made to divide the 115 metre long, 14.5 metre wide and 40 cm thick bridge deck into suitable blocks of 15-25 tons. The blocks were then lifted away by a 650 ton mobile crane hired specially for the job.

A crane had to be used that could reach 60 metres in, from first one side of the bridge and then from the other, to lift the concrete blocks free of the two cranes which were already on site.

Protected against concrete sludge

This unconventional method also enabled us to protect the area against concrete sludge, for example by placing plastic under the bridge. In addition, during the drilling/cutting work we continuously collected water and made sure the concrete sludge did not leak away.