Fifty years ago, the New Elbtunnel was inaugurated in Hamburg, marking a significant infrastructure achievement. Construction began in 1968 to ease traffic congestion caused by the Elb bridges, initially designed as a six-lane tunnel. Despite its expansion with a fourth tube in 2002, the tunnel remains a traffic bottleneck, with predictions of increasing daily vehicle numbers. Its grand opening festivities attracted hundreds of thousands, showcasing the community’s involvement amid construction challenges.
The Historic Opening of the New Elbtunnel
Fifty years ago, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt inaugurated the New Elbtunnel, marking a significant milestone in Hamburg’s infrastructure. Construction of what was once the longest underwater tunnel in Europe commenced in 1968. Despite the addition of a fourth tube, the tunnel continues to be a major traffic bottleneck.
Ambitious Construction Begins
On June 19, 1968, the sounds of excavators and pile drivers filled the air, signaling the start of one of Hamburg’s most ambitious construction endeavors: the New Elbtunnel. Situated at the bottom of the Elbe, this project aimed to alleviate congestion on the Elb bridges, where approximately 110,000 vehicles passed daily. It was designed not only to ease traffic flow through the city center but also to facilitate north-south travel for those coming from Hanover.
The tunnel was initially envisioned as a six-lane structure, part of a broader western bypass that included a 31-kilometer highway stretch and the Köhlbrand Bridge. By December 1969, progress was evident as the tunnel boring machine ‘Otto’ began excavating the first of four tunnel tubes.
Each tunnel tube was constructed in a specially drained harbor basin, with elements weighing around 48,000 tons. After their completion, these elements were transported by tugboats and lowered into place, resting 27 meters below the water’s surface. The subsequent filling of the space beneath the tubes with gravel and the use of a boring machine for sections under the Elbe bank were key steps in the construction process.
During this time, a young Mike Krüger was among those working on the project, training as a concrete worker. His career, however, took a different direction, leaving him with fond memories of the construction era.
Community Impact and Grand Opening Festivities
The construction of the New Elbtunnel was not without its challenges. Residents faced significant noise and disruption, with over 30 families forced to relocate due to the vibrations damaging their homes. By the end of 1974, the construction was finally completed, and to celebrate, the building authority hosted a folk festival in December, allowing the public to explore two of the three completed tubes before their official opening to traffic.
The festival attracted over 100,000 visitors on the first day alone, with families enjoying music from 14 marching bands and jazz performances as they traversed the nearly three-kilometer-long tubes. Food stalls and souvenir vendors added to the festive atmosphere, and a total of about 600,000 pedestrians walked through the tunnel over the five days of celebration.
On January 10, 1975, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt officially opened the tunnel for vehicular traffic, emphasizing the role of state road construction in fostering economic growth and job creation. However, the anticipated relief from traffic congestion did not materialize as quickly as hoped. Despite being designed to accommodate around 70,000 vehicles, the tunnel soon saw daily traffic soar to 100,000.
In response to the ongoing congestion, the Hamburg Senate decided in 1982 to construct a fourth tube. This endeavor took eight years of planning and five years of construction, utilizing the world’s largest tunnel boring machine at the time, affectionately named ‘T.R.U.D.E.’ After a hefty investment of 550 million euros, the fourth tube was inaugurated on October 27, 2002, with public access once again welcomed.
Despite these expansions, the Elbtunnel remains a significant bottleneck, with experts predicting daily traffic numbers to rise to 165,000 by 2025. Ongoing renovations and expansions in the surrounding areas necessitate patience from drivers as traffic jams continue to be a common occurrence around the tunnel.