A7 emergency: Bridge at the Horster triangle causes huge traffic jams!

A7 emergency: Bridge at the Horster triangle causes huge traffic jams!

The A7 in the Horster triangle area near Seevetal, Harburg district, has been closed to the north since Thursday afternoon. The reason for this unpleasant measure is massive concrete damage to a bridge that was discovered during renovation work. According to [NDR], all road users who want to travel towards Hamburg (West) or Flensburg will be redirected. The federal Autobahn GmbH has officially announced the closure, and it will remain in effect until further investigations clarify.

Traffic jams and detours

The consequences of the closure are already noticeable: massive traffic jams on the alternative routes characterize the picture. At the weekend, the ADAC Hamburg warned of overcrowded motorways, and there was actually considerable traffic chaos on Saturday, especially on the A1 between Ahrensburg and Kreuz Bargteheide, where vehicles were jammed for several kilometers. According to [SAT1 Regional], traffic on the A7 towards Kassel between the Hannover-Süd triangle and Hildesheim was also severely affected, with traffic jams of up to five kilometers.

The diversions for drivers lead via the parallel lane of the A1 to the Maschener Kreuz and via the A39 back to the A7. Truck drivers in particular have to have their permits checked from Walsrode, which doesn't make the situation any easier.

Investigations and political demands

In order to determine the reason for the concrete damage to the A7 bridge, further investigations were immediately initiated and structural engineers were called in. This bridge over the A1 has already been criticized: The ADAC Hamburg expressed concern about the condition of many bridges in Germany. A current analysis by [ZEIT] shows that 43 motorway bridges with a length of more than 50 meters are classified as “inadequate”. These worrying conditions affect both stability and traffic safety.

Especially after the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden, the chairman of the Federal Quality Association for the Repair of Concrete Structures, Marco Götze, is calling for political action. Transport Minister Volker Wissing presented a package of measures for bridge modernization in spring 2022, the implementation of which now appears all the more urgent.

Key data on traffic jams this weekend:

• Stau auf der A1 zwischen Ahrensburg und Kreuz Bargteheide über mehrere Kilometer
• Stau auf der A7 zwischen Dreieck Hannover-Süd und Hildesheim über fünf Kilometer
• Stau auf der A7 zwischen Hollenstedt und Buchholzer Dreieck in Richtung Hamburg-Südwest von sechs Kilometern
• Stau auf der A7 zwischen Dreieck Walsrode und Soltau-Süd über sieben Kilometer

With the closure, the section between Hamburg and Hanover will initially be affected for several hours. The situation remains tense and travelers in the region are being asked to prepare for longer journey times. A constant clash between traffic safety measures and the increasingly urgent demands for bridge renovations could be necessary in the future.

The focus on maintaining the infrastructure and ensuring traffic safety remains on the political agenda. Lessons learned from this incident should serve as a signal for future actions.