Three pushed barges were used from Emden to transport the concrete segments, which had a total weight of 1,400 tonnes. Before reaching Magdeburg, the project team then faced the challenge of a falling water level in the Elbe. ‘We were able to maximise the transport capacity and keep to the schedule by reloading onto smaller barges,’ explains David Schütz, Senior Manager Project Cargo at Deutsche Binnenreederei. This meant that a total of three push-barges were deployed on the Elbe, each with one large and one additional small pushed barge. ‘Between Magdeburg and Lovosice, we therefore deployed three flat pushing units barges and, thanks to the measures in Magdeburg, we were still able to travel upstream with a navigation channel of 115 centimetres depth,’ adds David Schütz.
On the mountain route in the Czech Republic, between Hrensko and Ústí nad Labem, another special feature of this project became apparent: the ‘Beskydy’ pre-stressing tug supported the pushing units. This is the only stern-wheel tug still in use and is even a listed object. ‘The current is particularly strong in this section of the river and when the water levels on the Elbe are very low, you don't get a lot of power transferred into the water. But thanks to the Beskydy, we were also able to overcome this hurdle,’ says David Schütz, explaining the use of the tugboat, which was built in 1956.