Briefing
In Waren (Müritz) on Sunday, 1 November 2026, the southern bridge on Schweriner Damm was demolished as planned. According to the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Police an evacuation radius of up to 200 metres was in force before and during the operation. Around 300 people temporarily left their flats and houses. The demolition was part of the replacement project on the Rostock–Berlin railway line in the section of the B 192.
The operation was carried out under the direction of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Office for Road Construction and Transport in coordination with the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Police. The authorities said the blasting method had been chosen because of the technical requirements of the replacement project and the aim of concentrating disruption to rail and road traffic into a single period.
To secure the area, the police established exclusion zones and road closures. These included sections of Mecklenburger Straße and the Müritzstraße as well as adjoining areas by Tiefwarensee. Residents were asked to remove vehicles from the evacuation zone and follow the instructions of emergency personnel. The federal warning system had announced the evacuation and closures in advance.
Technically, the state office opted for a projected explosionmethod in which supporting components are released in a controlled way and the bridge deck is directed precisely onto prepared landing and damping surfaces. Compared with purely mechanical dismantling, this approach shortens the work in the immediate vicinity of the tracks and road. According to the authorities, the demolition took place without any reported injuries or significant damage to property in the surrounding area.
The closures were lifted in stages after the demolition and clearance teams had declared the area safe. After the demolition, the responsible authorities announced that they would continue removing the rubble and preparing for the replacement project. The state office and project partners said they would update the precise timetable for the next stages of construction afterwards.
The measures, figures and closure areas cited in this report are based on statements from the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Police, notices from the federal warning system, information from the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Office for Road Construction and Transport, and regional media reports dated 30 October and 1 November 2026.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).