Bettemburg hat wieder eine Verbindung
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the new Émile Hammerel Bridge is inaugurated
Friday 4 April was a historic day for the community of Bettembourg. For its residents, who saw their emblematic bridge brought back to life in a new form. And for the 12,000 or so daily users of the N13, whose ordeal of detours has finally come to an end after 385 days of closure.
Traffic has been able to resume on this major route in the south of the country, linking the various parts of Bettembourg above the railway tracks and ensuring continuity between north and south. For more than a year, the local authority had to organise detours, causing numerous traffic jams. During this period, the municipality of Roeser showed its solidarity by accommodating some of the traffic and facilitating diversions on its territory.
But that Friday, it was party time in Bettembourg. In bright sunshine, the inauguration brought together a large number of local residents in a festive atmosphere, with music and good humour on the agenda. A long-awaited return for a bridge that is deeply rooted in local life.
‘This bridge, like its predecessor, unites the town. And from now on, this connection is guaranteed for the next hundred years’, Laurent Zeimet, Mayor of Bettembourg, told the assembled crowd.
The bridge is named after Émile Hammerel, the municipality’s former mayor, renowned for his local commitment and his vision of coherent urban development.
The old bridge, built in the 20th century, had reached its limits. Its advanced state of disrepair, combined with changes in railway and safety standards, meant that it was too complex and costly to rehabilitate.
The decision was therefore taken to demolish the bridge in 2024 and rebuild an entirely new structure that would be stronger, more suitable and built to last.
The new bridge didn’t just replace the old one: it improved it in every way. It now offers two wide pedestrian cycle paths, improved visibility, reinforced foundations, a height adjusted to today’s rail standards, and a structure capable of withstanding modern loads. Its sober yet assertive design blends seamlessly into the urban landscape.
Mobility Minister Yuriko Backes praised the patience of local residents and the success of the works: ‘And thank you to the people of Bettembourg for their patience. Twenty months can be a long time for those who have to use this bridge every day.
From a technical point of view, the bridge is a real feat of civil engineering. At 148 metres long and 22.5 metres high, this bow-string bridge rests on 1,300 tonnes of steelwork, suspended from 44 steel cables capable of supporting up to 100 tonnes each.
Pre-assembled in the station car park, it was then moved with precision over the CFL line – at the heart of the country’s second busiest rail hub. The total cost of the project was €18 million excluding VAT. An investment that meets the challenges of mobility, safety and the future. A new passageway. An essential connection re-established. A bridge turned towards the future, without denying its past.
Disruption on the railways
While motorists can rejoice, train users will have to contend with further disruption. This time, it’s not the work on the Émile Hammerel bridge that’s the cause, but the CFL’s work on the new line between Bettembourg and Howald. During the Easter holidays, from Saturday 5 April to 21 April, no trains will be running between Bettembourg and the capital. CFL will provide replacement buses.
During the summer, the situation will be identical: as in 2024, no trains will run between Bettembourg and the capital from mid-July to mid-September. Work will also continue over the next two years, meaning that in 2026 and 2027, this line will be closed to trains during the summer holidays.
Ana Martins