According to a decision by the Hamburg City Parliament, the new bridge in the Hamburg port area should be 73.5 metres high and open to traffic by 2040. Potential accelerations of the project implementation process are currently being assessed.
A competitive dialogue procedure has been launched, in which up to eight international project offices will participate. The conditions have already been published in the invitation to tender, and the participants will simultaneously develop several project concepts. As a result of the process, not only a contractor for the design work will be selected, but also the basic design of the bridge will be prepared. The visual image of the bridge is to be presented in the fourth quarter of 2025, and an expert commission will select the best design based on pre-set criteria.
The next step will be the technical preliminary planning and design, which are necessary for the final assessment of the financing and form the basis for the subsequent plan approval procedure scheduled for 2030. At this time, maintenance continues on the existing structure of the Kölbrand Bridge, which connects the A1 and A7 motorways and plays an important role in the transport system, requiring regular maintenance work to ensure traffic safety.