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A1 between Vechta and Cloppenburg: closure due to bridge modernization!
From November 7th, the A1 between Vechta and Cloppenburg will be closed for bridge work. Diversions have been set up.
A1 between Vechta and Cloppenburg: closure due to bridge modernization!
An important traffic artery in Germany will soon come to a standstill for a weekend. The A1 will be completely closed between Vechta and Cloppenburg from November 7th at 8 p.m. until November 11th at 5 a.m. The reason for this measure are outdated bridges that date back to the 1960s and no longer meet today's requirements in terms of load-bearing capacity and traffic safety. According to OM Online, these bridges have weight restrictions in a section of around 7 kilometers.
Not only will the motorway be closed between November 7th and 11th, the Cappeln Hagelage PWC facility will also be taken out of operation on both sides from November 7th at 8 a.m. For drivers, this means that they have to accept diversions. In the direction of Bremen, the turnoff takes place from Vechta via U13, while drivers in the direction of Dortmund are redirected from Cloppenburg via U52.
Dismantling and restoring the bridges
The closure is in preparation for the demolition of several bridges. The demolition process itself includes numerous measures: protective barriers are removed, sand beds are piled up, layers of asphalt are removed and railings and protective devices are dismantled. Around 6,500 tons of broken concrete are then transported away in 270 truckloads and further processed at special crushing stations. The materials are separated there and then recycled. After this removal, the route will be cleaned and the guardrails will be reinstalled. The reopening of the A1 is planned for Monday morning, November 11th at 5 a.m. Once reopened, all three lanes will be opened to traffic, with speed limits of 100 km/h and 120 km/h respectively.
These measures are part of a comprehensive bridge modernization program that is also popular throughout Germany. Around 40,300 bridges are part of the federal highway network, many of which were built between 1960 and 1985 and no longer meet today's standards. The increase in heavy traffic and the strained age structure of the bridges mean that extensive maintenance and modernization measures are unavoidable. As BMV explains, the federal government has launched a program that aims to better adapt these bridges overall to today's requirements.
Current condition of the bridges
The condition of the bridges on federal highways was recorded between 2019 and 2025 and shows that these modernization measures are urgently needed. A current study by Statista documents the condition of the bridges and describes the need for renovation work. The aim of the bridge modernization program is to establish a continuous core network of routes with the required load capacity within a decade, which could have important impacts on the entire transport infrastructure.
Overall, the upcoming demolition and modernization of the bridges on the A1 will not only increase the safety of the road, but also strengthen the transport infrastructure in Germany in the long term. This is urgently needed because, as the reports mentioned show, the ability of our bridges to be maintained is an important issue for the future of transport.