 The British occupation forces originally planned to demolish the dock in January 1950, but popular protests and fears that the demolition would damage the nearby tunnel under the Elbe caused the dock to be preserved.On December 12, 1967, construction of a new gate was completed and the first ship to enter the dock was the 190,000 ton tanker .Today, the dock is primarily used for refurbishing and repairing ships, although it can also be used for the construction of new vessels.