The land- and waterside infrastructure ensures smooth operations in the Port of Hamburg. By implementing extensive maintenance measures and innovative construction projects, we can operate a port which will be able to cope with an increasing flow of goods in the future.
Kattwyk Bridge is more than a central connection in the port area. The impressive lift bridge over the Southern Elbe has been in continuous use for almost 40 years. The planned new construction of a railway bridge will shift rail traffic and substantially reduce traffic on Kattwyk Bridge. The New Kattwyk Railway Bridge (NBK) project will therefore help to sustain the flow of traffic in the port, while at the same time contribute to the preservation of Kattwyk Bridge, built in 1973, as a landmark of the port of Hamburg for a long time to come.
As a central transport and strategic hub, Kattwyk Bridge serves the port railway as the most important connection between the western and eastern harbour areas. The road traffic uses the bridge as a convenient link to Wilhelmsburg and as a long-distance connection to the A7 motorway. Congestion on the Köhlbrand Bridge is partly relieved by diversions via Kattwyk Bridge. An integrated cycle route and footpath also allow you to cross the bridge without a car.
Kattwyk Bridge is one of the largest lift bridges in the world and has long become a landmark of the harbour with its highly visible structure and characteristic architecture. The tried and tested principle of operation has proved its worth for decades: when a ship passes, the bridge is temporarily closed to traffic and opens partially or fully, depending on the height of the passing vessel. This operation of Kattwyk Bridge meets the needs of all road users with ever-increasing traffic volumes.
The harbour is growing - but Kattwyk Bridge is unfortunately unable to grow. The volume of traffic is also rising steadily on the roads as a result of the growing cargo handling and port development. The rail and road network needs to be expanded to provide an efficient infrastructure and optimum flow of traffic. Kattwyk Bridge is part of this transport network: after more than four decades of operation, adapting to today's traffic conditions is essential.
Due to the current high volume of traffic, this important transport junction is becoming increasingly overburdoned. The bridge is closed by passing ships for trains and vehicles for around three hours a day. It is also closed for up to seven hours by rail traffic, which has priority over road traffic. As the bridge was not designed for today's traffic loads, load and speed limits also reduce the utilisation possibilities of the bridge.
For all of these reasons, the use of Kattwyk Bridge is becoming increasingly inefficient and therefore time-consuming and costly. The new bridge construction will enable rail traffic and road traffic to be separated, which will significantly reduce exclusion periods and other restrictions.
The bridge construction is of course also showing the first signs of fatigue caused by decades of high loads. As a long-standing landmark at the Port of Hamburg Kattwyk Bridge needs to be preserved for a long time to come, but this can only be achieved by constructing a new bridge and relieving the strain on the older one.
![[Translate to English:] ASW](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/1/csm_T3_AufdemWasser_8a55cf06ec.jpg "[Translate to English:] Elbe Hafen Wasser")
![[Translate to English:] ASW](/fileadmin/_processed_/7/9/csm_T3_BrueckeSchleuse_a66c302a0c.jpg "[Translate to English:] Brücken und Schleusen der HPA")
![[Translate to English:] ASW](/fileadmin/_processed_/c/b/csm_T3_infoPORT_12e7898dd6.jpg "[Translate to English:] infoPORT der HPA")
