The largest canal underbridge in Europe, it spans the river Elbe and directly connects the Mittellandkanal on the west side and Elbe-Havel Canal on the east side of the river, allowing large commercial ships to pass between the Rhineland and Berlin without having to descend into and then climb out of the Elbe itself.

Work started in 1998, with construction taking six years and costing €501 million.

The water bridge now connects Berlin’s inland harbour network with the ports along the Rhine River.

The aqueduct's structure incorporates 24,000 tons of steel and 68,000 cubic meters of concrete.

[1][2] The bridge is featured in the motion picture Hanna, at approximately 75 minutes into the film.