Magdeburg Water Bridge: Germany’s 918-Metre Canal Bridge

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is one of those engineering projects that looks almost unreal the first time you see it. Instead of carrying a road or railway over a river, this enormous structure carries an entire canal over the River Elbe.

The 918-metre Magdeburg Water Bridge carries the Mittelland Canal over the Elbe in Germany.

Located in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the bridge forms the central part of the Magdeburg Waterway Junction, linking the Mittelland Canal with the Elbe-Havel Canal. The canal bridge is 918 metres long and was officially opened to shipping on 10 October 2003. The Guinness World Records lists it as the longest canal bridge in the world. What makes the Magdeburg Water Bridge especially fascinating is that ships can simply sail across the Elbe without having to leave the elevated canal.

What Is the Magdeburg Water Bridge?

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is a navigable aqueduct, or canal bridge, built to carry the Mittelland Canal over the Elbe. Think of it as a bridge with a long, water-filled trough instead of a roadway. Barges and other inland vessels enter the canal bridge and travel across it while the River Elbe flows underneath.

The bridge is part of a larger waterway junction connecting two important German canals. The City of Magdeburg describes the structure as a 918-metre trough bridge that carries the Mittelland Canal over the Elbe toward the Elbe-Havel Canal. This is why the structure is often called a water bridge rather than an ordinary bridge.

Where Is the Magdeburg Water Bridge?

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is in Magdeburg, the capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It lies north of the city centre at the Magdeburg Waterway Junction, where several transport routes meet. The official city address for the waterway junction is Zur Schleuse 5, 39126 Magdeburg.

The surrounding area is also interesting because the bridge is part of a much larger network of locks, canals and waterways. Visitors can explore the junction on foot or through organised tours. For current visitor information, the official City of Magdeburg website provides details about the waterway junction and available tours.

First Image credit: TakesiKovacs

Image credit: ameridime

How Long Is the Magdeburg Water Bridge?

The total length of the Magdeburg Water Bridge is 918 metres. That makes it much more than a visually unusual structure. The Guinness World Records recognises the 918-metre Magdeburg Water Bridge as the longest canal bridge in the world. It was opened on 10 October 2003.

The bridge is about 43 metres wide and contains approximately 24,000 tonnes of steel and 68,000 cubic metres of concrete, according to Guinness World Records. The main aqueduct itself forms part of the longer waterway crossing. PIANC notes that the 918-metre crossing includes 228 metres of the aqueduct over the river, with the remainder extending across the floodplain and connecting sections of the waterway.

Why Was Such a Giant Bridge Needed?

Before the waterway junction was completed, ships travelling between the western and eastern canal systems had to take a significant detour. The idea of improving the connection around Magdeburg had existed for more than a century. According to the City of Magdeburg, the first idea for an east-west waterway connection dates back to 1877.

The eventual project became part of Germany's post-reunification transport infrastructure programme. One of its objectives was to create a more efficient connection between waterways leading toward western Germany and Berlin. PIANC explains that an alternative route would have required vessels to make a detour of roughly 12 kilometres along the Elbe. The canal bridge provided a more direct solution.

Magdeburg water bridge: The same view from under the bridge. Here, the Elbeneathugh is under the Mittelland Canal. 

Image credit: Patrick Scholl

How Does the Magdeburg Water Bridge Work?

The basic idea is surprisingly simple, even though the engineering is enormous. The Mittelland Canal approaches the waterway junction and enters the elevated trough of the bridge. The trough holds water at a navigable level, allowing vessels to sail across the River Elbe. On the other side, the canal continues toward the Elbe-Havel Canal.

The result is an unusual scene: ships appear to sail over a river. The official Magdeburg tourism material notes that vessels cross the Elbe more than eight metres above the river and that the waterway saves ships a detour of around ten kilometres.

Locks Complete the Waterway Junction

The bridge does not work alone. Locks on either side of the waterway junction allow vessels to move between different water levels. PIANC describes the overall system as including locks that enable navigation between the canal system, the Elbe and the Port of Magdeburg. This combination of a canal bridge and locks is what makes the entire Magdeburg Waterway Junction such an impressive piece of infrastructure.

Image credit: Patrick Scholl

When Was the Magdeburg Water Bridge Built?

Construction of the modern waterway junction was completed in the early 2000s, and the facility was officially opened for shipping on 10 October 2003. The project was part of German Unity Transport Project No. 17, which focused on improving the east-west inland waterway connection. The scale of the work explains why the Magdeburg Water Bridge is often described as an important engineering achievement rather than simply a tourist attraction.

Interesting Facts About the Magdeburg Water Bridge

• The bridge is 918 metres long.
• It carries the Mittelland Canal over the River Elbe.
• It connects the Mittelland Canal with the Elbe-Havel Canal.
• It opened for shipping on 10 October 2003.
• Guinness World Records lists it as the longest canal bridge in the world.
• The structure is about 43 metres wide.
• Construction used about 24,000 tonnes of steel and 68,000 cubic metres of concrete.
• Ships can cross the Elbe without taking the longer river route.
• The waterway junction also includes major lock structures.

Image credit: Patrick Scholl

Can You Visit the Magdeburg Water Bridge?

Yes. The Magdeburg Waterway Junction is a visitor attraction as well as a working transportation facility. The City of Magdeburg provides information about guided tours and sightseeing opportunities. Its official visitor information also states that visitors can access the trough bridge by wheelchair, while they can reach the observation tower by stairs.

One of the best things about visiting is seeing the scale of the structure from ground level. A photograph can show the bridge crossing the landscape, but standing beside it makes the enormous dimensions much easier to appreciate. You can also watch vessels using the waterway, which is arguably the most interesting part of the experience.

Magdeburg - Rothensee boat lift: Trough in upper position — Der Trog, in dem Schiffe hochgehoben und herabgelassen werden. 

Image credit: Patrick Scholl

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Magdeburg Water Bridge famous for?

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is famous for carrying the Mittelland Canal over the River Elbe. At 918 metres, Guinness World Records recognizes it as the world's longest canal bridge.

How long is the Magdeburg Water Bridge?

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is 918 metres long.

When was the Magdeburg Water Bridge opened?

It was officially opened for shipping on 10 October 2003.

Can ships travel across the Magdeburg Water Bridge?

Yes. The bridge contains a water-filled canal trough that allows inland vessels to sail across the Elbe.

Why was the Magdeburg Water Bridge built?

It was built to provide a more direct connection between the Mittelland Canal and the Elbe-Havel Canal, avoiding the longer route along the Elbe.

Where is the Magdeburg Water Bridge located?

It is located at the Magdeburg Waterway Junction in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

Magdeburg - Rothensee boat lift: Under the trough — demick unter dem angehobenen Trog.

Image credit: Patrick Scholl

Magdeburg water bridge: Western abutment — Das westliche Widerlager der Kanalbrücke. 

Image credit: Patrick Scholl

Vessels use the canal carried across the Elbe by the Magdeburg Water Bridge.

Image credit: Patrick Scholl

Conclusion

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is a remarkable example of what happens when a canal has to cross a river without interrupting either waterway. Its 918-metre steel trough carries ships over the Elbe and connects two major German canals as part of the Magdeburg Waterway Junction.

Opened in 2003 after decades of planning and development, the bridge has become both an important piece of inland-waterway infrastructure and one of Germany's most unusual engineering attractions. For anyone interested in bridges, canals, engineering, or unusual places in Germany, watching a ship sail across a bridge is a sight that is difficult to forget.

References & Sources

• City of Magdeburg – Wasserstraßenkreuz
• Guinness World Records – Longest Canal Bridge
• PIANC – History of the Magdeburg Waterway Crossing
• City of Magdeburg – Waterway Junction Visitor Information