Traffic - Truck fire in the Elbe tunnel: Only two southbound lanes open
A day after a truck fire in Hamburg's Elbtunnel disrupted traffic in the southern direction. Traffic jammed up at Hamburg-Northwest intersection as early as Friday morning, according to the traffic control center of the police. In the direction of Hannover, only two instead of the usual three traffic lanes were available.
Truck on fire
A truck had caught fire in the fourth tunnel tube on Thursday morning. The driver managed to escape, according to the fire department, and no one was injured. The burning truck was extinguished within half an hour. The cargo of the semi-trailer - a container with PE film - remained undamaged. The repair of the tunnel tube lasted all morning on Friday. According to the traffic control center, the usual three traffic lanes were available in the direction of Flensburg. Therefore, there was less traffic congestion before the Elbtunnel in the direction of the north.
Fourth tube may reopen Friday afternoon
It was suggested that the fourth tube might be drivable again in the Friday afternoon. This weekend, the most populous federal state in Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, begins its holidays. The ADAC expects the first major wave of travelers this summer starting in the afternoon. A spokesperson for the traffic control center stated: "It could also be that many stay at home and watch football first." At 18:00 hours, Germany plays in the quarterfinals of the EM in Stuttgart against Spain. At 21:00 hours, Portugal faces France at the Hamburg Volksparkstadion. Approximately 50,000 visitors are expected.
Fewer lanes in Elbtunnel due to construction work
The Elbtunnel went into operation with three tubes in the early 1970s. In 2002, the fourth, west-lying tube was added. During the construction work to expand the autobahn to eight lanes north and south of the tunnel, the usual three lanes per direction are typically available - the same number as in the construction sites. This is intended to prevent traffic jams from forming in the tunnel. In addition, emergency services can be faster on site in case of an emergency, said a spokeswoman for the Autobahn GmbH.
- Despite the suggestion that the fourth tube could reopen in the afternoon, the traffic department in Hannover advised drivers to avoid using the Elbtunnel due to the ongoing repair work from the truck fire.
- On Friday morning, due to the repair work after the truck fire in the fourth tube, there was limited traffic capacity in the Hanover direction, causing minor traffic delays.
- The fire department in Hamburg was praised for their quick response to the truck fire in the Elbe tunnel, ensuring that the damage was contained to the truck itself and no harm was caused to other commuters or the tunnel infrastructure.
- With the Elbtunnel having only two lanes available in the direction of Hanover, some drivers decided to take alternative routes, such as using the A20 or A7, to reach their destinations, which helped alleviate some of the traffic congestion.
