Our building renovation services are used to repair buildings, shafts, bridges and other structures of all kinds in need of renovation. We specialise in Deutsche Bahn AG facilities.
55 hours for 3,300 square metres of tunnel ceiling
The basis for further refurbishment
Every day, trains on the Berlin–Hamburg line rattle along the tracks – including through the Moorfleet Tunnel, through which the A1 motorway runs. This has placed an enormous strain on the structure over the decades, resulting in visible damage to the underside of the motorway tunnel’s ceiling. It is time for a comprehensive refurbishment.
A structure under constant strain
The Billwerder-Moorfleet motorway tunnel, approximately 240 metres long, is situated in the heart of Hamburg and runs beneath the tracks of the large Billwerder marshalling yard. The structure was built between 1961 and 1963. It consists of a railway viaduct in the form of a beam bridge, as well as the motorway troughs running beneath it. The bridge itself is designed as a two-span reinforced concrete slab resting on lateral abutments and a central pier. The two troughs run beneath it, each with a clear width of 15.5 metres.
However, over the decades, moisture and heavy use had taken a significant toll on the structure. Numerous areas of damage were evident across the deck; in places, the prestressing tendons were already exposed and visible to the naked eye.
Safety measures during a full closure
There was therefore an urgent need for action in Hamburg. The first safety and repair measures were already implemented in September 2025.
Our team had just 55 hours to carry out the work. Whilst the A1 was completely closed from 10.00 pm on Friday until 5.00 am on Monday, our team inspected around 3,300 square metres of the road surface for voids and damage. Loose concrete sections were removed to permanently protect the carriageway from falling concrete chunks. This was followed by anti-corrosion and concrete repair work, including substrate preparation and re-profiling. At the same time, we documented the extent of the damage to the structure, thereby laying the foundations for further repair measures.
Consequently, in the spring of 2026, we were commissioned to test various abrasive methods, such as ultra-high-pressure water jetting (UHWJ), solid-blasting and thermal methods, in order to determine the optimal approach for large-scale coating removal. UHWJ was selected as the appropriate method. This work is scheduled to take place in September 2026.
Precise planning for complex infrastructure projects
The work on the Billwerder-Moorfleet Tunnel is the result of meticulous preparation, clear procedures and close coordination between all parties involved. The measures implemented have directly improved the safety of the structure and laid the foundations for the next stages of refurbishment. This has created important prerequisites for the long-term preservation of the tunnel.
