U5 Subway Construction: Alster and Moorweide Spared as Logistics Sites in Hamburg
Hamburg, April 28 – Plans to use parts of the Alster and Moorweide as logistics areas for the construction of the new U5 subway line have been definitively abandoned. Instead, Hochbahn proposed six alternative sites on Monday, which will serve as crucial supply points for the tunnel boring machines for six to seven years.
New Logistics Sites Identified
The six newly proposed sites, each approximately 12,000 square meters, will facilitate the supply of concrete pre-product via pipelines to the tunnel boring machines and the return of excavated earth. The U5 line is projected to have 29 stations and be completed by 2040.
The designated construction preparation areas include:
- The median strip and one to two lanes of Hamburger Straße
- An open space between Ferdinandstor and Kennedybrücke
- The Dom-Parkplatz Glacischaussee
- An area at the Universitätsbau Informatikum
- Two HSV parking lots (Parkplatz Grau/Vorplatz Arenen and Parkplatz Braun near the A7 motorway)
Klaus Uphoff, U5 Managing Director, emphasized the focus on existing paved areas. “We deliberately avoided unpaved areas. Unpaved areas include green spaces, parks, or even water bodies, as well as sports facilities or corresponding leisure facilities. The main concentration and focus were paved areas in the street space,” Uphoff stated.
Alster and Moorweide Plans Dismissed
This decision means that earlier considerations of draining parts of the Alster for construction or sacrificing the Moorweide with its old trees are off the table. The first of these six sites are expected to be established by 2030, with all of them being removed by 2040.
Extensive Use of Tunnel Boring Machines
Hochbahn plans to utilize up to 14 tunnel boring machines for the U5 construction, which will excavate approximately two-thirds of the total 29-kilometer route. The remaining sections will be constructed in open cut. These tunnel boring machines are 60 to 100 meters long, digging seven-meter-wide tunnels and lining them with concrete.
Uphoff added, “We currently have up to 14 tunneling machines in our concept that we need. Whether that will remain the final number will be shown by further planning and execution with the executing companies.”
Progress in Planning and Future Connections
Planning for the sections between Hagebecks Tierpark, Jarrestraße, and St. Georg is expected to be completed by the end of the year. A particular challenge in the planning is the U-Bahn’s proximity to the research facilities Desy and XFEL.
Future U1 and U5 passengers will be able to conveniently transfer to long-distance and regional trains as well as the S-Bahn at Hamburg’s Dammtor train station. Three routes for the connection to Osdorf and Lurup have also been presented.
The U5 project aims to significantly enhance public transport in Hamburg, providing a new, efficient connection across the city while minimizing disruption to existing natural and recreational areas.
Source: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/bau-der-u5-vorbereitungsflaechen-doch-nicht-in-der-alster,ubahn-152.html
