Once completed, bridge to boast 3-metre-wide bus lane in direction of Gare district

The Luxembourg City Viaduct – also known as ‘Al Bréck’, or ‘The Old Bridge’ – is to be expanded to accommodate public transport and improve the flow of traffic in the capital.

The Viaduct will remain open to traffic while the expansion is being constructed, albeit with a few restrictions.

Once completed, the bridge will boast a 3-metre-wide bus lane in the direction of the Gare district.

The two lanes for cars will be widened by 10cm, making them also 3 metres wide.

Safety railings

Cyclists and pedestrians will also benefit from the expansion, writes luxtimes.lu.

On one side of the bridge there will be a shared, bi-directional, 4.5-metre-wide route with a middle separator.

One side will be for pedestrians only, with a pavement widened by 20cm.

Safety railings, similar to those on the Red Bridge, will be installed along the sides of the Viaduct, allowing for views across the valley.

In total, the Al Bréck will be widened from 15.30m to 17.70m.

This is not the first time the bridge has been widened. In 1959-60, the Viaduct’s width was increased from 7.5m to 15m.

Current works will begin in the spring of this year, with the construction period expected to run just over 410 working days.

The budget amounts to €9.1 million.

Al Bréck history

Al Bréck, built between 1859 and 1861, crosses the Petrusse Valley at a height of 45m and has 24 arches.

The name Al Bréck was given to the circular arch bridge at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Pont Adolphe was built.

This is why the ‘newer’ bridge was nicknamed ‘Nei Bréck’.