Germany tunnel and bridge projects being discussed

Projects to improve historic tunnel and bridge links are now progressing in Germany after some delays. These are for the refurbishment of the old Elbe Tunnel in Hamburg and a bridge upgrade in Cologne. Stretching some 426m, the Old Elbe Tunnel runs from the St Pauli area on the north of the River Elbe to the port area in the south. Opened in 1911 the twin tube tunnel is of historic value, even though its importance for vehicle traffic is now comparatively minor following the opening of a new road tunnel in
February 27, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Projects to improve historic tunnel and bridge links are now progressing in Germany after some delays. These are for the refurbishment of the old Elbe Tunnel in Hamburg and a bridge upgrade in Cologne. Stretching some 426m, the Old Elbe Tunnel runs from the St Pauli area on the north of the River Elbe to the port area in the south. Opened in 1911 the twin tube tunnel is of historic value, even though its importance for vehicle traffic is now comparatively minor following the opening of a new road tunnel in 1975.

Refurbishing the tunnel will cost an estimated €120 million, which includes the improvement work required at both ends of the link. However the cost of the project is rather more than when it was first raised in 2008, when refurbishing the tunnel was expected to come with a pricetag of just €16 million. The historic Old Elbe Tunnel runs 24m under the river and can be accessed by lifts at either end. Because of this, the vehicle traffic is now light but it is still used frequently by pedestrians and cyclists.

Meanwhile in Cologne, the city’s planning office has awarded a contract worth some €139 million to rebuild an old bridge link. The work will be carried out by the Swiss contractor Implenia. The improvement work is needed as there are concerns over the ongoing structural integrity of the link due to its age.

Finance & Funding

Related Content

  • Sunderland’s Northern Spire bridge opens
    August 28, 2018
    Sunderland’s Northern Spire bridge with its 105m-high central A-frame pylon opens to traffic today after a four-month delay because of poor weather. The bridge opened for pedestrians and cyclists yesterday after three Sunderland-built Nissan vehicles first crossed the bridge during a ceremony to mark completion of the project. Work began in May 2015 and the bridge has been built within its allocated €129 million budget. However, poor weather conditions pushed back the opening of the bridge from this past
    Read More
  • Scotland’s new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth Estuary
    December 23, 2015
    The new Queensferry Crossing under construction in Scotland will be the third landmark bridge spanning the Forth Estuary - Mike Woof writes When the new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth Estuary opens at the end of 2016, it will be the third landmark bridge to be built spanning this short stretch of water. Lying alongside the existing road bridge and the historic rail bridge, this new structure will be as groundbreaking as the two earlier crossings were at the time of their construction.
    Read More
  • Tampere road tunnel - a strategic link for central Finland
    April 4, 2016
    Progress has been good for an important underground road link in Finland reports Adrian Greeman. Assuming all goes well, the new Ranta, or Lakeside, tunnel in Tampere will open in full six months early; traffic could be running by the end of this year. Work on transforming the rundown city centre with new developments will get a major boost. It is a major achievement on a four-year-long project bringing significant benefits to one of Finland's largest cities. From the government's point of view the scheme w
    Read More
  • Renovation set for the Freihafenelbbrücke
    March 4, 2021
    Freihafen Bridge opened in 1926 to improve transportation near the then Hamburg Free Port.
    Read More

Highlighted Content