In 1911 a technical sensation opened it´s doors and tubes to the public: The St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel, or nowadays, to easier distinguish it from it´s modern counterpart, also called the Old Elbe Tunnel. It was built with the dangerous but proven caisson-technique. By means of maintaining a high air pressure in the working area, it keeps water from entering. Due to lack of fully understanding and treating decompression sickness at the time, three workers died of the effects, many others suffered symptoms.

Instead of building driving ramps into the tunnel, four huge elevators were installed on each entrance side, which can transport cars and other vehicles with a weight of up to 10 tons.

Why was the tunnel built in the first place? More than a hundred years ago the Port of Hamburg was one of the busiest in the world, with most of the harbor related jobs being on the opposite side of the Elbe River. Up to 50,000 workers had to cross the river twice on a daily basis. The ferry traffic was becoming very dense and posed a constant accident potential in the shipping lanes. Standard bridges would have hindered ships from passing through and high bridges were too costly, as a consequence the tunnel idea was born. 

Four enormous elevators on either side of the tunnel, transport vehicles to a depth of 24 meters.

The original steel and wood construction is still in use.

Global trade has shifted and modern port techniques have established a very different working climate in the Port of Hamburg. The tunnel is not a lifeline anymore, though it is still used as a regular way of transport between St. Pauli and Steinwerder. Steinwerder is just one of many islands in the harbor area that are interconnected by a dense bridge network.

Two 430 meter tunnel tubes with a single car lane and pedestrian walkways on either side,

connect the northern St. Pauli entrance with the southern Steinwerder entrance.

To the right of the car elevators is a regular lift for pedestrians and cyclists.

And of course there is always the staircase...

The entire tunnel system is a historic landmark which is protected accordingly.

Presently the whole area is under a thorough renovation process,

and car transportation is interrupted for some time.

The domed building of the northern St. Pauli tunnel entrance.

See more pics of St. Pauli and Hamburg.