Elbe Lateral Canal

The Elbe Lateral Canal ( ESK ) is a federal waterway in the state of Lower Saxony between the Mittelland Canal at Edesbüttel ( MLK 233.65 km ) west of Wolfsburg, and the Elbe River at Artlenburg (Elbe - km 572.97 ). The channel was opened after eight years of construction on June 15, 1976 by ​​the then Federal Minister for Transport Kurt Gscheidle, the Mayor of the City of Hamburg Hans-Ulrich Klose and the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, Ernst Albrecht. Responsible for the management of the ESK is the Waterways and Shipping Office Uelzen.

Bauzweck

The main purpose of Kanalbaues was to create a connection between the Elbe and the Midland Canal within the Federal Republic of Germany; the original link - the Magdeburg Water Bridge - was during the division of Germany into East Germany. The building was used to create an obstacle for armored troops in East-West direction. The canal banks were created as a barrier for tanks from the east, from the west to the slopes be traveled eastwards in certain areas. The bridges were or are still sometimes equipped with explosive wells were in the subways or is there tank traps. Were able to benefit economically from the channel especially the then state-owned Salzgitter AG and other industrial companies in the Hanover - Brunswick. For the sewer, in particular for placing of up to six meters high canal embankments, large amounts were needed to sand. The material was partially removed in channel area, which created lakes, many of which were to the lakes, like the Bernsteinsee and Tankumsee.

Since the German reunification, the channel is not only used as a shortcut between the northern Elbe and western Mittelland Canal, but also on the way between the northern and eastern Central Plateau same channel if the same results in low water between Schnackenburgallee and Magdeburg.

Course

The length of the canal is 115.14 km in water depths of 4 to 4.5 m and water table width 54-70 m. The chainage starts on the Mittelland Canal. The height difference of 61 m from the dam area of the Elbe above Geesthacht to the summit level is overcome with 2 rise buildings. The summit level of the ESK above Uelzen connects to the summit level of the Mittelland Canal. The canal was built mainly in the trapezoidal cross-section with a stream width of 53 m. Over long distances, for example in Isenbuttel, the channel runs as a dam line, that is, the water level of the channel is higher than the surrounding terrain. In these areas, the channel is guided by trough bridges over roads, railways and waterways.

In the summit reach a port have been built in the places Osloß, White Moor and bathroom floor pond berths for shipping and also in Witt rings. In the central sewer between the lock Uelzen and the Scharnebeck in Bad Bevensen and Wulfstorf were built ports ( at Bienenbuttel ) berths and in Uelzen and Lüneburg. In the lower sewer there are no piers or ports.

The water supply of the channel for the smuggling, but also for industry and agriculture as well as for an additional supply of the summit level of the Mittelland Canal made ​​exclusively from the same means of pumping stations at the two channel levels.

Structures

Schiffshebewerk Lüneburg

The Lüneburg ship lift in Scharnebeck ( 106.16 km ) with a maximum drop height of 38 m, the second largest vertical - lift Europe. There is a double boat lift with two independent troughs. Each trough has a length of 105 m and a width of 12 m, due to protection against ship collisions at the trough outside the usable length is limited to 100 m. At the time of the construction of the standard ship was the so-called Europe ship with 85 m length and 9.50 m width. For these ships the trough length was sufficient today's GMS (Great motor vessels ) of 110 meters length and ÜGMS ( Oversized motor vessels ) of 135 meters in length can not pass through the elevator. Pushing units must be coupled apart and are individually raised or lowered. This assumes that both parts of the thrust Association are each shorter than 100 m. The time required for this more towards the 190 m long lock chamber Uelzen is compensated by the gain in time when raising and lowering of the trough.

Group lock Uelzen ( locks I and II)

The lock Uelzen I ( 60.62 km ) overcomes a savings shaft lock a height difference of 23 meters. It has the dimensions of 185 meters long and 12 meters wide, and can therefore be passed by GMS and ÜGMS. The lock Uelzen is a so-called thrift lock in Talschleusungen a majority of the water is directed into three lateral saving basins. This water is allowed to stand at Mountain smuggling back into the lock chamber. By saving basins so about 60 % of the water for the next smuggling is reused. Only about 40 % of the sluice water drains into the lower channel attitude. In addition to the lock there is a pumping station, the night, the used water is pumped back into the upper sewer. Due to the increased traffic on the Elbe Lateral Canal, and the fact that the lock Uelzen I more than 30 years in operation, the lock Uelzen II was east of it built and opened in December 2006 for the shipping. The new lock has slightly enlarged with 190 meters long and 12.50 meters wide dimensions and can also be passed by 185 meters long convoys.

Hochwassersperrtor Artlenburg

The confluence distance below the hydraulic lift is blocked by an inhibit in Artlenburg at km 114.74 against Elbe flood in water levels above sea level 8.0 m.

Security gates

In order to prevent damage to the expiry of an entire sewer are in the channel at Wasbüttel ( 0.97 km ), Osloß ( 9.72 km ), Wieren (km 56.32 ) and Erbstorf installed (km 103.72 ) security gates.

Intersections with roadways

Eight Railroads, 65 roads and paths by 55 bridges and 14 underpasses (some for several transport routes at the same time ) crossed.

A few kilometers north of the junction of the ESK from the Mittelland Canal passes under the railway line Taught Berlin ( as part of the high-speed line Hannover- Berlin) the channel in 1974 completed 965 meters of the Elbe- Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in northern Germany.

The clearance under bridges and other superstructures is on the same side channel 5.25 m in normal channel water level.

Intersections with waters

Eleven rivers and canals, 14 major outfall and twelve trenches with two canal bridges over all, and Ilmenau, 14 passages ( with free water level ) and 16 culverts ( underpass under pressure ), eg the Neetzedüker crossed.

Usually ship on the ESK

The same - side channel corresponds to the waterways of class Vb, this allows the following vessel sizes.

• Pushed convoy: length 185 m, width 11.40 m, draft 2.80 m, carrying capacity of 3500 t
• Big Motor Ship (GMS ): Length 110 m, Draft 2.80 m, width 11.40 m, capacity about 2100 t (solid ride is limited to 100 m in length due to ship Scharnebeck )

Economy

The total traffic of ESK in 2009 took with 7.819 million tonnes compared with the previous year to 0.905 million tonnes, or 10.4%. Thus, the transport volume in 2005 fell for the first time under 8 million tonnes. The proportion of through traffic in the total traffic on the ESK is 7.35 million tonnes ( about 94 %). In the area of ​​transport ( 0.49 million t. ) Are particularly agricultural products, fertilizers, sand / gravel, coal / coke, metal ores and chemical products, and since 2009 also reinforced folded mineral oil. The envelope of the traffic area in 2009 will take place in the ports of Uelzen, Wittingen and Lüneburg in descending order by weight.

Container traffic in 2009 amounted to 70 047 TEU, down compared to 79 855 TEU in 2008 to about 14%.

Dam break in 1976

On 18 July 1976 a few weeks after the opening of the canal, there was a dam burst near Lüneburg. The channel broke at an underpass in the municipality in the district of Adendorf Erbstorf, just south of the ship lift Scharnebeck. Nearly four million cubic meters of water flooded about 15 km ² surrounding areas. Aerial photographs the discharge area can be clearly seen today.

The leaked water quantity would have been higher by a multiple if the entire channel section between the lock Uelzen and the ship Scharnebeck would run empty. Toward Scharnebeck a security gate at Erbstorf could be closed - but the hereby quantity of water retained was relatively low. Much more threatening was the route towards Uelzen, where the next barrier with sheet piling after more than 25 kilometers away was available at Jastorf south of Bad Bevensen. In order to prevent the leakage of this channel section, an attempt was made a barge in the channel cross determine so as to form a first barrier and slow down the flow. After this failed because of the lashings of the ship tore, instead drove heavy armored recovery vehicles of the Bundeswehr in the channel. By calming the flow succeeded after 15 hours at last to build a makeshift barrier of metal parts, sandbags, stones and gravel.

Subsequently, the channel could be restored and finally opened to traffic in June 1977.

Location of dam failure: 53 ° 15 ' 40 "N, 10 ° 29' 7" O53.26117610.485313

Cities and towns along the Elbe Lateral Canal

From south to north:

• Samtgemeinde Isenbuttel
• Samtgemeinde Boldecker country
• Sassenburg
• Samtgemeinde Hankensbuettel
• Schönewörde
• Wittingen
• Samtgemeinde Aue
• Uelzen
• Bad Bevensen
• Bienenbuttel
• Wendish evern
• Lüneburg
• Scharnebeck
• Adendorf
• Artlenburg

Events

Every year there will be a marathon, which is (40 42.2 miles) run almost entirely on the western operating path of the Elbe Lateral Canal. The competition will be run in Gifhorn between Stüde ( start and finish ) and an inflection point near Witt rings. Organizer is the marathon club Stüde.

Cycling and walking

The channel has at the sides over gravel roads, which extend over the entire length. On them you can go from the Mittelland Canal to the Elbe bicycle.