The enlargement of the motorway to eight lanes between the Hamburg-Othmarschen and Hamburg-Volkspark junctions will close the gap between the current A7 expansion projects north and south of the Elbtunnel. The top of the 2,230-metre Altona noise protection tunnel will be covered with allotments, greenery and parks, which will also serve to reconnect the two neighbouring districts of Othmarschen and Bahrenfeld.

The eight-year project is scheduled to start in April this year. DEGES (Deutsche Einheit Fernstrassenplanungs und -bau GmbH), the project management company that plans and builds highways for its owners – the federal government and twelve federal states – is the client. Implenia is taking the commercial lead on the project, which is worth a net total of around EUR 580 million, in a joint venture with HOCHTIEF, which has the technical lead. Implenia has a 35 percent share of the overall contract volume.

In partnership to improve urban transport infrastructure

The project is an important part of the renewal and improvement of infrastructure on one of Germany’s main traffic arteries. It will also improve the quality of life of residents living near the road, thanks to the comprehensive noise protection measures, as well as everyone in Hamburg who can enjoy the new green space in future.

Christian Späth, Head Division Civil Engineering at Implenia: “We were able to identify numerous optimisation opportunities during the tendering process, which began in November 2019. This allowed us, among other things, to bring forward parts of the detailed design work and systematically incorporate the results of more than 30 coordination meetings into the project calculations. This meant we could significantly reduce the project risks for everyone involved and create a good basis for working together for the next eight years until the project reaches a successful conclusion.”