Leuna/MZ -- The night is cold and clear. The temperature on this very early Monday morning is around the freezing point. Innumerable stars sparkle in the sky. But in these hours after midnight, nobody cares about this. The men are waiting. They talk, smoke, move around a little. None of them are showing any signs of impatience.

Blinding spotlights light the area around the railway tracks adjacent to Schwarzer Weg in the Leuna industrial park. To the left and to the right of the tracks, metal beams stick out high – the pillars of the bridge to be built here this night. "The tracks will be closed down between one and four o'clock a.m.," is what Siegfried Zschiedrich thinks, construction supervisor of Stahl- und Brückenbau, the Niesky based construction company. It might as well take a little longer, one couldn't say that beforehand precise to the minute. He witnessed similar operations a dozen times.

This time, BDP/Project Logistics (Nürnberg) hired him and his men. BDP has contracted to provide for the transportation of the industrial plant equipment for Quinn Chemicals' future plant in Leuna. On the water at first, then on the roads. Due to the dimensions of the tanks progress is predominantly made during nighttime and only in short legs. Meanwhile, the giant tanks have reached Leuna; however, they still have to make it over the railroad tracks. The problem: This is the track between Erfurt and Halle, which is heavily loaded with traffic, including the ICE (BDP PL note: Inter City Express High Speed railway).

Closing this line down for an extended period of time is unthinkable. That's why a temporary bridge over the tracks is being built – high enough so the electric locomotives' overhead power line can still be used without limitation and strong enough to withstand the multi-ton transports.

On January 21, the Niesky steel workers commenced work, and this is the night when the gap will be closed. The 22.5 meters long part is already hooked. All connection parts have been checked, the procedure was reviewed, tools and bolts are prepared. "Originally, our company developed the SB30 auxiliary bridge system for the NVA [translator note: the German Democratic Republic's National People's Army]," says Zschiedrich. After the collapse of the GDR, the FRG acquired and further complemented the parts. Today, these mobile bridge building services are offered in the civil sector. A maximum of 30 meters can be bridged, and the parts can be plugged into each other in any length "just like Lego bricks." In Leuna, the steel workers are building an eleven-segment bridge. Ten parts are 15 meters each, the special eleventh bridge mid part, which is crossing the railroad tracks, is 22.5 meters long. This one has to be installed first. The completed bridge then is able to carry an axle load of 17 metric tons.

Meanwhile, the clock reads 1:15 am. Shortly before, two cargo trains whooshed through, now comes the signal: The overhead power line between Merseburg and Grosskorbetha is switched off. Now – as safety comes first – everything, even the tracks, are grounded. The team is starting to move. The 500 ton crane lifts the bridge part slowly and, after rotating it, places it precisely between the beams. Then comes the fine-tuning work for the men above: Align with millimeter accuracy, insert bolts. Done. Everything fits perfectly.

By: Elke Jäger