Bernburg/Calbe. It will be blue and built in the Salzlandkreis district. It was only in July that the consortium comprising Arlt Bauunternehmen and ZSB Zwickauer Sonderstahlbau was awarded the public works contract by the district administration for the bridge spanning the River Saale between Groß Rosenburg and Tornitz. SBS Stahlbau Schönebeck GmbH works closely with ZSB. It is based in the Calbe Industrial Park on the River Saale, with large production halls, storage areas, heavy-duty cranes, modern machinery and manufacturing facilities for projects across Germany. The SBS company logo features bridge silhouettes – symbolising expertise in steel construction and modern technologies, and perfectly suited to the contract. It is therefore there, at SBS’s premises in Calbe, that the new steel bridge over the Saale is being manufactured. In 2028, it – in a striking blue colour – is set to provide cyclists and pedestrians with a new link in the charming region between the Saale and Elbe cycle routes.
The Salzlandkreis is investing just under seven million euros in the bridge-building project, which will also include e-bike charging points; five million euros of this is funded by the federal government under the National Climate Protection Programme.
“Made in Salzlandkreis – you can’t get more local than this major infrastructure project,” says District Administrator Markus Bauer. “From the initial idea and development right through to construction and implementation. This demonstrates our capabilities all the way to Berlin and is a regional label of which we can rightly be proud, but which we also want to develop further together within the region.” A few days ago, the District Administrator paid a personal visit to the local steel construction firm at the invitation of site manager Sebastian Henning.
The region around Calbe and Schönebeck in the Salzlandkreis district has a long tradition in steel and metal construction and was once part of major East German steel and light metal construction combines. In 2014, Elbe Stahlbau GmbH became Stahlbau Schönebeck GmbH. Since then, the company has grown into a formidable steel construction firm on the market, with around 80 employees. SBS’s distinctive style in the manufacture of large components is already evident in many of Germany’s major bridge structures.
And SBS’s development continues. The expansion of the factory is in full swing. The management team – comprising Thomas Baumann, Ronny Nierbauer and Sebastian Henning, who has been with the company for almost ten years and has also served as plant manager since 2023 – is fully behind the ambitious ‘Made in Salzlandkreis’ label. “We can build something together on this basis,” he says, offering the District Administrator the prospect of further collaboration with keen interest. “As a commercial enterprise, we too want to work towards the future. Next year, we’ll start by assembling the bridge components as per the order, welding them and painting them blue. It’s a lovely thought that our work is gaining attention and recognition not just elsewhere, but here at home as well.”
Markus Bauer would like to emphasise this point regarding the Salzlandkreis: “With our potential in the economy and public administration, and by working together, we can best achieve our respective goals, confidently develop the Salzlandkreis as a place to live, do business and pursue academic research, and raise its profile. Because what’s inside is exactly what it says on the label: ‘Made in Salzlandkreis.’