First Sustainable Traffic Sign Bridge Made of Wood

HASSLACHER group supplies products for the construction 

On a southern motorway in Carinthia, STRABAG erected Europe's first traffic sign bridge made of wood on behalf of ASFINAG. The sustainable, roughly 30 m long construction is made of glulam special components and was erected as a pilot project. The HASSLACHER Group supplied the products for the unusual bridge, which stores around 35 tons of CO2. At the Hermagor site, the structure was produced and fitted with all the fasteners including the necessary electronics, a moisture monitoring system and the traffic signs.

Wooden bridge over 4 motorway lanes

The special wooden construction was erected on the night of Wednesday (15 June 2022) near the Völkermarkt-Ost exit. These constructions are usually made of steel, on which variable message signs are mounted, which can indicate the speed, an accident or also serve as an exit, such as at the Haimburg traffic control point. The wooden traffic sign bridge spans the entire four lanes of the motorway and can be walked on for inspection and monitoring. Beams and supports are made of spruce with larch used as a protective layer. Moisture sensors from Tagtron are glued into or onto the individual components to check how the construction reacts to various weather conditions. The data collected can be recalled at any time.

Wood as a factor of sustainability

In total, 75%of this construction is made from local wood (Austria). In terms of durability, wood will even outperform steel; experts currently expect it to last at least 20 years. In addition, there are two further significant advantages: the sustainability by using the domestic, renewable raw material (wood), as well as the regional added value. After one year in operation, the first findings of wood used in motorway facilities will be available. If this data confirms the current assumptions, ASFINAG will rely more on wood in the future in the interest of climate protection and explore in what other forms this sustainable building material can be used.