A7 in Hamburg: Mega traffic jams due to tunnel closure until Monday morning!

A7 in Hamburg: Mega traffic jams due to tunnel closure until Monday morning!

The full closure of Autobahn 7 in Hamburg began last Friday evening, July 18, 2025, and will last until Monday morning, July 21, 2025, at 5 a.m. This measure affects the section north of the Elbe Tunnel, between Hamburg-Schnelsen and the Hamburg-Nordwest triangle. This design is not a spontaneous decision, but rather the result of necessary technical upgrades to the Schnelsen noise protection tunnel, which has been in use without interruption since 2017. In order to have a good handle on security, the tunnel's IT components and software will be renewed after eight years of operation, explains NDR.

The weekend is characterized by long traffic jams. On Saturday, traffic heading north from Hamburg-Waltershof had increased to around 10 kilometers. But it wasn't just on the A7 that drivers had to wait: the Hamburg-Eidelstedt exit and other alternative routes on the A23 in the direction of Heide were also heavily overloaded. Alternative routes, such as the A1, were also affected by gridlocked traffic due to the increased traffic volume. Before the actual closure, traffic jams of up to 15 kilometers had already formed between Hamburg-Heimfeld and -Schnelsen on Friday afternoon, which further exacerbated the traffic situation.

Planned measures for road safety

The need for full closure is not only of a technical nature, but also has a safety-related background. In addition to the technical upgrade, the fire department will use this opportunity to carry out an extensive exercise in the tunnel area. This security measure will be part of the comprehensive strategies to guarantee the safety of passengers in the event of an emergency autobahn.de.

But that's not all! After the work over the weekend, there will also be a full night closure on August 16, 2025, which will last from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. the following day. This blocking is necessary in order to dismantle the old components and carry out further necessary tests.

Detours and traffic information

Large-scale diversions via the A1, A21 and B205 were recommended to deal with the remaining traffic jams. These measures are particularly important for travelers heading to the North Sea, who should be prepared for longer journey times, especially on well-known traffic jam routes such as AS Neumünster Süd or B205. Anyone traveling outside of usual travel times could benefit from fewer traffic jams.

This closure could also affect some travelers during the holiday season, when nine federal states have already sent their students on summer vacation. Therefore, traffic experts advise taking enough drinks with you and paying attention to traffic information to ensure a bearable journey.

It remains exciting as to the further development of the A7, as there will be numerous further closures in the coming months. A look at the planned measures confirms this:

Drivers will therefore have to be patient for some time while the A7 is further expanded and modernized. Find out more about the noise protection measures and the legal basis at the Ministry of Transport trid.trb.org.