Schleswig-Holstein: Elbe-Lübeck Canal will probably not be expanded after all

There is still no official confirmation, but various media outlets in Schleswig-Holstein are unanimous in reporting that the expansion of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal, which had been called for by the business community, now appears to be off the table for good. The project had already been put on ice in 2022, but interest groups had continued to campaign for the expansion.

Significant measures would be necessary

While the waterway, which forms the second connection between the Elbe and the Baltic Sea alongside the Kiel Canal, is becoming increasingly important for pleasure craft, with around 5,000 passages a year, freight transport has steadily declined - partly due to the limited dimensions of the canal, which opened in 1900.

In order to become fit for the freight transport of the present day and to lay the foundations for increasing utilisation figures, the canal would have to be widened and deepened, and bridges and all six locks would have to be replaced by new buildings.

Current expansion status is maintained

Just how necessary these measures would be was demonstrated last year, when the 61-kilometre-long canal was closed for eight months for extensive repair work following an unscheduled failure of the Donner lock. had to be completely closed.

However, projected increases are apparently disproportionate to the costs of the expansion, which are estimated at around 840 million euros. However, the full capacity of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal is to be maintained in its current state.