Elbe-Havel Canal and the Midland Canal.
Plans for joining the two canals had been conceived as far back as 1919, and construction on such a project began during the 1930s,but first World War II and then the post-war division of Germany put the project on hold until after German reunification was achieved in the 1990s.
The bridge site is open to visitors and includes a parking lot, bicycle and pedestrian paths and informational signs detailing the history and construction of the bridge. The bridge itself is located outside of Hohenwarthe near the city of Magdeburg and is known locally as the Wasserstrassenkreuz Magdeburg
