Hamburg Old tunnel below river elbe Elbtunnel
Old Elbe Tunnel (Alter Elbtunnel) Opened 1911, the 426m (1,400 ft) long tunnel was a technical sensation. 24 m (80 ft) beneath the surface, two tubes with 6 m (20 ft) diameter connect central Hamburg with the docks and shipyards on the south side of the river Elbe. This meant a big improvement for tens of thousands of workers in one of the busiest harbours in the world. Four huge lifts on either side of the tunnel carried pedestrians, carriages and motor vehicles to the bottom. They are still in operation, though due to the limited capacity by today's standards, other bridges and tunnels have been built and taken over most of the traffic. The old tunnel has turned into an impressive attraction for tourists. Construction was done under pressure and, like during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge towers, diver's disease was a big problem, killing three and causing 74 severe and more than 600 light cases among the 4,400 workers, two casualties were caused by accidents. The tunnel walls are decorated with glazed terra cotta ornaments displaying items related to the Elbe river. While mostly fish or crabs, a few show different items like waste and rats, too.
Size: 5256px × 3498px
Photo credit: © Piotr & Irena Kolasa / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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