Major overhaul of the Geesthacht Weir on the River Elbe

The Geesthacht Weir is located some 140 km upstream from the mouth of the River Elbe, southwest of the town of Geesthacht. It was built between 1957 and 1960 as a four-section weir forming part of the dam at Geesthacht, each section measuring 50 m. The complex was designed for an envisaged dam at an upstream height of 5.65 m above sea level, and in addition to the weir there were originally also plans for the construction of a run-of-the-river power plant to the north of and adjacent to the fourth section of the weir. In the course of the planning approval process, the permissible upstream height of the dam was limited to 4.00 m above sea level, in other words 1.65 m lower than envisaged. As a result, the run-of-the-river power plant would have been uneconomical and was never built. Nowadays there is a fixed overflow sill where it would have stood. The weir's pillars provide the foundations for a road bridge where a main road, the Bundesstra beta e 404, crosses the River Elbe. Operation of the weir has led in some cases to considerable damage to the solid structure and the steel closing mechanisms. A major overhaul is necessary to ensure the durability and operational safety of the weir.