Planning for the demolition of the Köhlbrand Bridge and the construction of a tunnel is progressing. “The authorities involved are (…) currently dealing with the results of preliminary planning and are examining, among other things, within the framework of feasibility studies, which implementation steps are required in detail,” said a spokesman for the economic authority. Reliable estimates for time and cost planning are not yet available, also in view of the general development of construction costs.
According to previous plans, the construction of the tunnel should start at the end of 2026 and – when it is finished – the demolition of the bridge will start in 2034. It will take another two years for this to finally disappear. The costs for the tunnel alone have so far been estimated at more than three billion euros. “In addition to the actual crossing, numerous ancillary and connecting structures will have to be built during the construction phase,” said the spokesman.
The Köhlbrandbrücke was opened in 1974 and connects the Elbe island of Wilhelmsburg with the A7 motorway. With a total length of 3600 meters and a clear height of 53 meters, it is one of the most famous bridges in Germany. But the largest container ships no longer fit under the bridge to reach the Altenwerder container terminal. After almost 50 years of exposure to heavy goods traffic, the bridge is also approaching the end of its technical service life and can only be used to a limited extent today.
