Beneath the bustling A1 highway, a hidden marvel lies waiting. This is the Tunnel Billwerder-Moorfleet. It is a testament to Hamburg’s ingenuity.
The Tunnel Billwerder-Moorfleet isn’t just any tunnel. It’s a crucial part of Hamburg’s infrastructure. It allows the A1 to pass under the busy Berlin-Hamburg railway line and the Umschlagbahnhof Hamburg-Billwerder.
Let’s rewind to the early 1960s. From 1960 to 1963, Hamburg was expanding its southeastern connections. The goal was to link Hamburg to Lübeck and Hannover. The railway line between Hamburg and Bergedorf posed a challenge. Luckily, rail traffic was low due to Germany’s division. This made construction easier.
First, workers removed half of the 32 tracks. This made space to build an overpass. Then, they tackled the other half. The Tunnel Billwerder-Moorfleet consists of two independent structures. The upper part is a beam bridge that carries the railway. It’s a reinforced concrete slab with two fields. These rest on side abutments and a central support.
Below this bridge are two troughs for the highway. Each trough is 15.5 meters wide. These troughs aren’t directly connected to the railway overpass. They sit about seven meters below ground. This is where it gets interesting. The troughs are secured with sand ballast. This prevents them from floating because they are deep in the groundwater.
The Tunnel Billwerder-Moorfleet stretches 243 meters. There were even preparations made to extend it by 98 meters. This was in case the Umschlagbahnhof needed to expand. Including the access ramps, the entire tunnel system spans 735 meters. Each tunnel tube accommodates three lanes of traffic.
Fun fact the construction company Gustav Schibli Kommanditgesellschaft was contracted by the city of Hamburg to build a tunnel. This was for the Billwerder Industriebahn that would connect to the Berlin-Hamburg railway. However, the tunnel went unused for decades and was filled with water. The tunnel was about a meter above sea level and three to four meters below the industrial areas.
In 1968 and 1969 the tunnel received steel-reinforced concrete troughs to protect it against water and landslides. In 1976 the city of Hamburg, the Deutsche Bahn and the AKN Eisenbahn made an agreement on the use of the tunnel.
The Tunnel Billwerder-Moorfleet stands as a symbol of Hamburg’s growth. It highlights Hamburg’s ability to overcome complex engineering challenges. As you drive through, remember the story behind this essential structure.