Plauer Hubbrücke, Vertical-lift road bridge in Plau am See, Germany

The Plauer Hubbrücke is a road bridge with a steel structure that lifts vertically to allow boats to pass. The lifting mechanism raises the roadway by 1.86 meters (6 feet), creating a clear passage for maritime traffic.

The steel lift bridge was built in 1916 on the site of an earlier wooden drawbridge. In 1945 it was spared from being blown up. It was repaired in 1991/92 and given a fundamental overhaul in 2020/21, which included new drive technology and a remote control system.

The bridge stands as a protected monument reflecting early 1900s industrial engineering. It connects two parts of town while allowing boats to continue toward the lock and the lake beyond.

Boaters coming from the Plauer See can now phone ahead to request a lift, since the bridge is operated remotely from the lock keeper's post at the Hühnerleiter a few hundred metres downstream. The clearance under the raised deck depends on the water level and reaches at most 1.86 m.

Until the 2020/21 overhaul, the lock keeper at the "Hühnerleiter" lock, a few hundred metres downstream, had to cycle to the bridge and operate it from the wooden house beside it. Boat crews coming from the Plauer See now phone ahead to request a lift.