Hamburg drives onto the Elbe bridges

On Thursday, 6th of December 2018 and after five years of construction, the first mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) opened the 1,3 km long route extension of the line U4 from the station HafenCity Universität up to the station Elbbrücken. The station Elbbrücken is the new end station of the line U4 and hereby connects the east of the HafenCity to the Hamburg fast rail system. Together with the urban railway station Elbbrücken, which is still under construction, a transfer relation for passengers coming from or moving towards the south of Hamburg is being created.

The new route section borders, with its first tunnel segment, east to the underground existing station HafenCity Universität. The first tunnel segment was produced via open diaphragm wall construction as a rectangular-shaped tunnel. The approx. 250 m long segment included, aside from the route rails, reversing and storage sidings. The further two-track route segments expands over a length of approx. 710 m as a tunnel and subsequently leads over an approx. 230 m long trough structure onto the surface.

The station Elbbrücken is located aboveground and is defined by an approx. 16 m high, bent steel-glass roof construction and an approx. 65 meters long glass footbridge – a so-called Skywalk – which leads to the adjacent urban railway station. The southern connection of the station is made up of an observation deck, from which passengers can enjoy the view onto the Elbe and the HafenCity's skyline.

Over the course of the project, ZPP was commissioned with the project and structural planning of the first tunnel segment and the client support, inspection of execution documents with regards to contractual factors as well as consulting of Hamburger Hochbahn AG for the complete route segment including the station Elbbrücken.