Overview
- A ship collision on 28 October last year left the Freihafenelbbrücke irreparably damaged and closed, and the Hamburg Senat has now approved a modular Behelfsbrücke to be built west of the Neuen Elbbrücken.
- The temporary crossing is budgeted at €134 million with about €100 million expected from the federal infrastructure special fund and construction scheduled to start in early 2028.
- Reports differ on how fast the new structure will open: WELT cites an operation date in the first half of 2028, while the city and dpa/MOPO give a 12–15 month build time that would point to the first half of 2029.
- The modular solution uses prefabricated elements from a federal stockpile to avoid a lengthy planfeststellungsverfahren, shorten assembly time and provide roughly ten years of service before dismantling.
- The CDU has proposed a separate €850 million temporary relief bridge for the Köhlbrand, a plan the Senat rejected as too costly and complex while it pushes to accelerate the advanced permanent Köhlbrand replacement and seeks federal regulatory speed‑ups.