First sustainable traffic sign bridge made of wood

On the southern freeway in Carinthia, STRABAG built Europe's first traffic sign bridge made of wood on behalf of ASFINAG. The sustainable, almost 30 m long structure made of glulam special components was erected as a pilot project. The HASSLACHER Group supplied the products for the extraordinary bridge, which stores around 35 tons of CO2. At the Hermagor site, the structure was not only produced, but also equipped with all fasteners and even the necessary electronics, a moisture monitoring system and the traffic signs.

Wooden bridge over 4 highway lanes

The special wooden structure was erected during the night of Wednesday (June 15, 2022) near the Völkermarkt-Ost exit. These constructions are usually made of steel, on which so-called variable message signs are mounted, which, among other things, indicate the speed or an accident or also serve as an exit, such as at the Haimburg traffic control station. The wooden traffic sign bridge spans the entire four lanes of the highway and can be walked on for inspection and monitoring purposes. Beams and columns are made of spruce, and native larch was used as the protective layer. Moisture sensors from the Tagtron company are glued into or onto the individual components to check how the structure reacts to different weather conditions. Various data can be accessed online at any time.

Wood as a climate protection factor

In total, 75 percent of this construction is made of local wood. 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 climate protection factor due to the use of the domestic, renewable raw material wood and the regional added value. After one year in operation, the first findings of this use of wood in highway facilities will be available. If these confirm the current assumptions, ASFINAG will increasingly rely on wood in the future in the interest of climate protection and explore in which form this sustainable building material can still be used.