Connecting the Port Area
A daily 35,000 vehicles cross the gigantic steel bridge by the River Elbe. Opened in 1974, the overpass has been the most important connection between Hamburg’s vast port area and the A7 motorway for many years. The prominent bridge, with its bulky beams and 88 steel ropes, has become one of the most striking landmarks in Northern Germany. Visible from the A7 motorway, the bridge is a dramatic sight for those driving between central Europe and Scandinavia.
The striking construction was widely restored between 2014 and 2016, including the addition of a new asphalt surface costing €60 million. The next round of restorations is already due to begin by 2030 at the latest.
Second-Longest Street Bridge
The Köhlbrand Bridge was built in 1974, and is still the second-longest street bridge in Germany. In recent years, artist Michael Batz has brought the bridge even more fame. Known for his light installations, the artist regularly includes the beams of the bridge in his Blue Port art project.
Sports at Köhlbrand Bridge
The great view from atop the bridge can only be enjoyed from your car, as it is closed to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Only the Köhlbrandbrückenlauf run and the Cyclassics bike races create a welcome exception to the rule.
Bridge and Tunnel
In order to assess the future of traffic management in the Hamburg port region, there were two feasibility studies in 2019 to determine whether a new bridge or a tunnel below the River Elbe should replace the massive overpass. Despite its hefty size, however, with an average height of 53 metres, modern container ships can’t pass beneath the old bridge, cutting off the Altenwerder terminal from water traffic. In order to make Hamburg’s most modern terminal accessible, a new bridge would have to reach more than 67 metres.
In June 2026, construction plans were laid out by the senate to build a new Köhlbrand bridge with a clearance height of 73.5 metres to allow container ships with a capacity of up to 25,800 TEU to pass under. Its greater height represents a strategic long-term decision, securing and expanding the potential of the port areas beyond it. The new Köhlbrand Bridge will therefore shape nautical access to the southern port areas for decades to come – likely well into the next century. Construction is scheduled to take place throughout the 2030s.
