The Elbe-Havel and Mittelland canals had previously met near Magdeburg but 

on opposite sides of the Elbe. Ships moving between the two had to make a 12-

kilometer detour, descending from the Mittelland Canal through the Rothensee 

boat lift into the Elbe, then sailing downstream on the river, before entering the 

Elbe-Havel Canal through Niegripp lock. Low water levels in the Elbe often 

prevented fully laden canal barges from making this crossing, requiring time-

consuming off-loading of cargo.

易北河 - 哈維爾運河和Mittelland此前會見了馬格德堡附近，但對立雙方的易北

河。兩者之間的船舶移動不得不作出一個 12公里長的彎路，降從 Mittelland運河

船隻通過 Rothensee電梯到易北河，然後順流河上，在進入易北河 - 哈維爾運河

通過 Niegripp鎖。低水位在易北河往往使運河駁船滿載作出這條通道，需要耗

時卸貨物

Construction of the water link was started as early as in the 1930s but due to the

World War 2 and subsequent division of Germany the work remained 

suspendedtill 1997. The aqueduct was finally completed and opened to the 

public in 2003. 

建水的聯繫始於早在20世紀 30年代，但由於​​第二次世界大戰和隨後的分

裂德國的工作依然暫停，直到1997年。該渡槽終於完成，向公眾開放於 2003

年。