A7 emergency: Bridge on the Horster Dreieck ensures huge traffic jams!

A7 emergency: Bridge on the Horster Dreieck ensures huge traffic jams!

The A7 in the area of the Horster triangle near Seevetal, Harburg district, has been closed to the north since Thursday afternoon. The reason for this unpleasant measure is massive concrete damage on a bridge that was discovered in the course of renovation work. According to [NDR], all road users who want to drive towards Hamburg (West) or Flensburg are diverted. Autobahn GmbH of the federal government has officially announced the blocking, and this remains in force until the further investigations are clarified.

traffic jam and diversions

The consequences of the blocking are already noticeable: massive traffic jams on the alternative routes shape the image. At the weekend, the ADAC Hamburg warned of overcrowded motorways, and in fact there were considerable traffic chaos on Saturday, especially on the A1 between Ahrensburg and Kreuz Bargteheide, where the vehicles build up over several kilometers. According to [SAT1 Regional], the traffic on the A7 in the direction of Kassel between the Hanover-Süd and Hildesheim triangle was also severely affected, with a traffic jam of up to five kilometers.

The diversions for drivers lead back to the A7 via the parallel lane of the A1 to the Maschener Kreuz and via the A39. From Walsrode in particular, truck drivers have to have their permits checked, which does not make the situation easier.

Investigations and political demands

In order to determine the reason for the concrete damage on the A7 bridge, further investigations were initiated immediately and structural engineers were brought in. This bridge over the A1 was previously criticized: the ADAC Hamburg expressed concern about the state of many bridges in Germany. A current analysis of [ZEIT] shows that 43 motorway bridges with a length of more than 50 meters are classified as "insufficient". These worrying conditions affect both stability and traffic safety.

In particular after the partial fall of the Carol Bridge in Dresden, the chairman of the federal approval community for the repair of concrete structures, Marco Götze, calls on political action. Transport Minister Volker Wissing presented a package of measures for bridge moderation in spring 2022, the implementation of which now appears all the more urgent.

Corner data of the traffic jams this weekend:

• traffic jam on the A1 between Ahrensburg and Kreuz Bargteheide over several kilometers
• traffic jam on the A7 between triangle Hannover-Süd and Hildesheim over five kilometers
• traffic jam on the A7 between Hollenstedt and Buchholzer Dreieck towards Hamburg-Südwest of six kilometers
• traffic jam on the A7 between triangle Walsrode and Soltau-Süd over seven kilometers

With the blocking, the section between Hamburg and Hanover initially remains affected for several hours. The situation remains tense and the travelers in the region are required to adjust to longer travel times. A permanent meeting of measures to ensure traffic safety and the increasingly pressing demands for bridge renovations could be necessary in the future.

A look at the maintenance of the infrastructure and ensuring traffic safety remains on the political agenda. Experience from this incident should serve as a signal for future measures.