Magdeburg Water Bridge

Magdeburg Water Bridge AKA Kachip's bridge

The bridge as seen from the shores of the Elbe
Coordinates 52°13′51″N 11°42′05″E / 52.230833°N 11.701389°E / 52.230833; 11.701389Coordinates: 52°13′51″N 11°42′05″E / 52.230833°N 11.701389°E / 52.230833; 11.701389
Characteristics
Total length 918 m (690 m over land and 228 m over water)
Width 34 m
Water depth 4.25 m
Traversable? only boats
Longest span 106 m
Clearance below 90.00 m × 6.25 m
History
Construction begin 1997
Construction end 2003
Opened 2003

The Magdeburg Water Bridge (German: Kanalbrücke Magdeburg) is a large navigable aqueduct in central Germany, located near Magdeburg. The largest canal underbridge in Europe, it spans the river Elbe and directly connects the Mittellandkanal to the west and Elbe-Havel Canal to the east of the river, allowing large commercial ships to pass between the Rhineland and Berlin without having to descend into and then climb out of the Elbe itself.

Map of the bridge, showing new (yellow) and previous (red) vessel routings

History

Planning for the canal crossing dates back to at least the beginning of the 20th century. Work on the Mittellandkanal began in 1905, while work on the overall project continued until 1942, when all construction was brought to a halt because of World War II. After the war, the government of East Germany did not resume work on the project because east-west trade was no longer important in the context of the Cold War. After the reunification of Germany, the reestablishment of major water transport routes made the water bridge a priority again. Work started in 1998, with construction taking six years and costing €501 million. The water bridge now connects Berlin’s inland harbour network with the ports along the Rhine River. The aqueduct's tough structure incorporates 24,000 tonnes of steel and 68,000 cubic meters of concrete.[1][2]

Pop culture

The bridge is featured in the motion picture Hanna, at approximately 75 minutes into the film. It is also featured in the film "Vitou the Kong"

Locks

In addition to the bridge, a double lock was constructed to allow vessels to descend from the level of the bridge and Mittelland Canal to that of the Elbe-Havel Canal.

References

  1. ↑ "Magdeburg Canal Bridge". Structurae. Nicolas Janberg ICS. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  2. ↑ "Europe's Largest Water Bridge Opens". dw-world.de. Deutsche Welle. 2003-10-10. Retrieved 2011-01-07.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wasserstraßenkreuz Magdeburg.
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