Traffic - A40 closed for four months from August 6 for new bridge construction
For drivers in the Ruhr region, a months-long closure of the important traffic artery A40 at Bochum is coming up. Starting from August 6th, the autobahn in both directions will be closed at Bochum for 15 weeks, according to the responsible Autobahn GmbH. The start date of this long-planned measure had been uncertain for a long time. During these approximately four months, half of a bridge that is now in poor condition will be rebuilt. The so-called Schlachthofbridge between the interchanges Bochum Zentrum and Bochum Hamme will be demolished.
The structure dates back to 1959 and was not designed for today's traffic volumes, especially the increasing heavy goods traffic. Around 100,000 cars pass through the A40 in the Ruhr region every day. During the full closure, traffic will be diverted to the recently completed Autobahn 448 and the A43.
Autobahn GmbH calls full closure unavoidable
The closure in both directions is unavoidable, as the traffic - unlike at many construction sites - cannot be directed over the remaining half of the bridge. "Unfortunately, the lanes of the urban autobahn A40 are too narrow for that," said project leader Lars Batzer according to the statement.
To keep the duration of the closure as short as possible, the work has already begun in the spring: The pylons and abutments for the bridge are being built on the land next to the bridge. The bridge plate will later rest on them. Through this innovative method, three quarters of a year of full closure can be saved, according to Batzer.
Full closure towards construction site starts significantly before the bridge
To minimize the impact of the usual Ruhr region traffic on Bochumer city area as much as possible, the closure for traffic participants in the direction of the construction site begins several exits earlier: The autobahn is closed for traffic from the direction of Dortmund starting at the exit Bochum Harpen. Those driving from Essen towards the construction site will be redirected to the bypass road - afterwards, it's tight. Some on-ramp exits from the direction of the Bochumer city area towards the construction site are expected to remain open according to the statements from Autobahn GmbH.
The closure on the A40 in Bochum, located in North Rhine-Westphalia's Ruhr area, will impact traffic for the next 15 weeks, starting from August 6th. Despite an innovative method to reduce the duration, the full closure of the autobahn is unavoidable due to the narrow lanes, as traffic cannot be directed over the remaining half of the bridge during the reconstruction of the Schlachthofbridge.
