Spotlight: Giants underground (January 2003)
Herren Tunnel Lübeck – HOCHTIEF pioneers PPP in Germany
There’s no doubt about who plays the starring role in the spectacular structure being created in
downtown Lübeck in Northern Germany: Hilde, the 2,250 ton TMB. “She” is clearing the way for one of
Germany’s first privately financed infrastructure projects, being completed as a public-private partnership
(PPP). The director/producer is HOCHTIEF. And following the gala premiere in 2005, it will remain in charge,
to ensure that everything goes off smoothly – to the benefit of all concerned.
The Herren Tunnel will then replace the antiquated bascule bridge over the River Trave and make traveling through Lübeck’s city center easier and faster. All without any strain on the municipal coffers. That’s because, as a member of the project company, HOCHTIEF is not only responsible for building the tunnel but also for planning and financing the project and will subsequently go on to operate the tunnel.
The German government has allocated 85 million euros, which is what it would have had to pay anyway for
a new bascule bridge. The rest of the money is being put up by the project company, which will recoup its
investment by means of tolls. After a concession period of 30 years, ownership of the Herren Tunnel will be
transferred to the City of Lübeck. In this way, HOCHTIEF is pioneering the type of project that can help to
fulfill the wishes of ordinary citizens even when public-sector budgets are already strained to the limit.
