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Elbe tunnel closures in Hamburg: Drivers must prepare!
Flensburg is the starting point for the longest motorway in Germany. Find out more about upcoming closures of the Elbe Tunnel.
Elbe tunnel closures in Hamburg: Drivers must prepare!
The coming weekends will be a challenge for many drivers in northern Germany, as the Elbe Tunnel in Hamburg will be closed for 55 hours on several dates. The closures affect the weekends of October 17th to 20th, November 7th to 10th and December 5th to 8th, 2025. From Friday evening at 10 p.m. to Monday morning at 5 a.m. both directions of travel will be affected, which will lead to significant traffic delays. During this time, around 120,000 vehicles pass through the tunnel every day, which is considered an important junction on the A7.
The reason for the closures is extensive work, including the raising of new traffic sign gantries, a software upgrade of the tunnel operating system and the expansion of the noise protection system and the motorway to up to eight lanes, including the connection to the new A26. These investments are part of the modernization and improvement of the region's transport infrastructure, which includes more than just cables and roads.
Redirections and recommendations
Motorists should prepare for diversions on the A1, A21 and B205. In particular, travelers heading to Hamburg Airport are advised to allow more time or switch to public transport to avoid delays. It is to be expected that traffic jams will also arise on the bypass routes, which could further increase travel time. At the beginning of October, a previous closure of the eastern tube of the Elbe Tunnel led to a traffic jam of around eight kilometers in a northerly direction, which increased awareness of the upcoming diversions.
In addition to the closures already mentioned, the Stellingen tunnel and other sections of the A7 are also affected. The Stellingen tunnel will be closed for a total of 67 hours from November 14th to 17th and December 6th and 7th. The ideal time window for long-distance travelers remains an important issue, as Hamburg represents a central connection between the port and the surrounding area.
The A7 in numbers and facts
The A7, with a total length of 962 kilometers, is Germany's longest motorway and forms the most important north-south connection. The section between Hanover and Hamburg in particular is one of the most congested in Germany. Over 130,000 vehicles are counted on this section of route every day. The motorway network in Germany, the second largest in the world, stretches for approximately 13,200 kilometers and has been managed since 2021 by Autobahn GmbH, which is responsible for construction, operation and maintenance.
The promises of the motorway law and investments in infrastructure provide around 8.77 billion euros for 2024. Despite increasing pressure, construction sites and traffic on the highways continue to grow. More than 427,000 hours of traffic jams were registered nationwide in 2023, around 30 percent more than in the previous year. This makes the environment for drivers in Germany seem nerve-wracking - especially in view of the upcoming closures in the Elbe Tunnel.
Overall, there is a lot for drivers in the region to consider. If you are well prepared and keep an eye on current developments, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and wasted time.