Shaping the Future of Sustainable Infrastructure: The Multi-Awarded Oder Railroad Bridge
Carbo-Link is proud to celebrate the outstanding international recognition received by the Oder Railroad Bridge, a pioneering cross-border railway structure connecting Germany and Poland. In 2025, this landmark project was honored with multiple major engineering awards, establishing it as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking bridge structures of the year.
The project received:
Structural Awards 2025 – Recognized for its elegant and unique combination of materials in a landmark network-arch bridge.
IABSE Awards 2025 – Honored for Innovation in Construction at the global awards ceremony held in Zurich.
German Bridge Construction Award 2025 (Deutscher Brückenbaupreis) – Winner in the rail and road bridges category.
Bridges International Award 2025 – Winner in the “International Project over £10 million” category.
These distinctions highlight the project’s architectural clarity, technical precision, and groundbreaking use of advanced materials.
A World First in Railway Bridge Engineering
The Oder Railroad Bridge is the first railway bridge in the world to use carbon-fibre-reinforced elements as primary structural components. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the adoption of composite technology in large-scale infrastructure.
Instead of traditional steel tension bars, the bridge incorporates 88 CFRP tension hangers manufactured by Carbo-Link. This advanced solution enabled:
Reduced structural weight, eliminating hundreds of tons of steel and concrete otherwise required.
Superior long-term performance, thanks to corrosion-free and fatigue-resistant CFRP materials.
Highly precise load-bearing behavior, allowing the elegant, slender geometry of the network arch.
Improved sustainability, with significant reductions in embodied CO₂ compared to a conventional steel design.
This world-first application of CFRP in a heavy railway bridge demonstrates how composite materials can deliver unparalleled structural efficiency and durability.
Sustainable, Smart & Future-Focused Design
A defining feature of the project is its commitment to sustainability and responsible construction. The design team made use of the existing river piers, minimizing environmental impact and reducing material consumption.
The bridge’s network-arch structure is both visually refined and technically robust, characterized by its slender profile and disciplined detailing. The combination of lightweight CFRP hangers and a slim, high-efficiency arch results in a structure that is:
Architecturally striking
Materially efficient
Structurally optimized
Environmentally considerate
The Oder Railroad Bridge is a powerful example of how modern engineering can successfully integrate innovation, sustainability, and aesthetic clarity.
Carbo-Link’s Role in a Landmark Achievement
Carbo-Link is honored to have played a central role in this exceptional project. By supplying the high-performance CFRP tension members, Carbo-Link enabled the design and construction of a railway bridge that would not have been possible using conventional materials alone.
This achievement demonstrates the transformative potential of carbon-fibre technology in critical infrastructure. As industries worldwide seek lighter, more durable, and more sustainable engineering solutions, the Oder Railroad Bridge serves as a new benchmark for what advanced composites can achieve.
Looking Ahead: Defining the Future of Infrastructure
The success of the Oder Railroad Bridge sends a clear message: CFRP technology is ready for mainstream use in major infrastructure projects. Its benefits in weight reduction, durability, fatigue resistance, and sustainability open new possibilities for designers and infrastructure owners.
For Carbo-Link, this project is both a milestone and a defining moment in the advancement of composite technology. It strengthens our commitment to advancing composite solutions and inspires the next generation of bridges, buildings, and engineered structures.
The Oder Railroad Bridge now stands as an international reference — a testament to what is possible when visionary design meets cutting-edge material science.