The grand opening of a new bridge in the southern town of Bürgstadt in Bavaria had to be delayed last week, due to a misplaced strut. The new structure was ready to be fitted when the error was noticed.

The bridge that didn’t fit

“The bridge doesn’t fit,” the mayor of Bürgstadt, Thomas Grün, told a group of kindergarten children who had gathered to watch a new bridge being fitted over the Erf River, which runs adjacent to the little town.

The new 3,5-ton bridge was ready to be installed and being moved into place by a crane when it was discovered that a strut had been mounted six inches too deep on one side. A makeshift crossing has since been set up, so pedestrians can still access the other side of the River.

The children, who were waiting to test out the new bridge as soon as it had been fitted, reportedly offered their sympathies to the mayor, explaining that sometimes their building projects at home don’t always work out either. Luckily, the mayor’s blushes should be spared soon, as the bridge is only in need of a quick fix and was due to be set in place sometime this week.

Out with the old

The new aluminium bridge was commissioned to replace the old wooden bridge that used to serve residents of Bürgstadt. The town council first hoped to repair the previous bridge, but on closer inspection it was found to be partially rotted. The new aluminium bridge should prove more sustainable than its predecessor.

The new bridge was manufactured by Werner Glück and his firm based in Engen. Glück said that the mistake arose after his firm created the new bridge from two inventory plans, which ended up being different to what was needed on site. The bridge was transported, escorted by the police, 170 miles from Engen to Bürgstadt.