- The entirety of B1 close to Dortmund undergoes closure for bridge dismantling.
The dismantling of a bridge over the B1 in Dortmund, a significant route in the eastern Ruhr area, will lead to a complete shutdown this weekend. Commencing from Saturday evening at 8:00 PM and lasting until Monday at 5:00 AM, the section between Holzwickede and Dortmund-Sölde interchanges will be closed in both lanes, as advised by the project management company, Deges. They suggest a vast detour via the A1, A2, and B236 federal road.
As part of the expansion of the federal road into an autobahn, the service road intersecting the multi-lane B1 at this point will be torn down. Fortunately, alternative bridge alternatives are available for the former users of the intersection - primarily, agricultural traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The B1, east of Dortmund, will transform into A40
On behalf of the federal government, Deges orchestrates and oversees the development of the B1 section, a six-lane expansion covering around ten kilometers, from Dortmund Ost to the Dortmund/Unna interchange. By 2025, the company estimates that up to 100,000 vehicles daily will utilize this section. For numerous east-west commuters, the A40, famously known as the Ruhr Expressway, serves as the primary central traffic artery in the Ruhr area. The A40 currently merges into B1 in Dortmund, leading to A44 towards Kassel at Unna. The renovation projects are set to conclude in 2027.
Currently, travelers in the Ruhr area encounter various limitations due to a prolonged closure of the A40: A bridge replacement near Bochum has forced the A40 to close in both directions since August, with an estimated reopening in mid-November. Furthermore, ongoing construction at the Kaiserberg interchange at the western end of the Ruhr Expressway in Duisburg frequently disrupts traffic flow.
Due to the other detour options available for agricultural traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists due to the bridge dismantling, they won't be significantly affected by the shutdown. After the transformation of the B1 into A40, the A40 will serve as the primary central traffic artery for numerous east-west commuters in the Ruhr area, bypassing the current closure and construction issues.
