File photo
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A former streetcar tunnel, approximately 110 years old, located beneath Berlin's Unter den Linden boulevard will be dismantled and backfilled starting this Wednesday.
The underpass between Humboldt University and Neue Wache, known as the Lindentunnel, has not been in use since 1951 and is now in a state of disrepair, according to the Senate Department of Transportation. As a result, a weight restriction for heavy vehicles is already in place.
The construction work will result in traffic restrictions between Charlottenstraße and Schlossbrücke. Starting next Wednesday, traffic will be completely rerouted to the northbound lane. The separate bus lane will therefore be eliminated, but there will be bike lanes in both directions. The adjacent cultural institutions, particularly the State Opera, will remain accessible at all times. According to city officials, the construction work is expected to last until the fourth quarter of 2027 and will cost approximately four million euros.