Traffic jam chaos in North Rhine-Westphalia: 197 kilometers of traffic jams cause frustration on Monday morning!

Traffic jam chaos in North Rhine-Westphalia: 197 kilometers of traffic jams cause frustration on Monday morning!

What is happening in North Rhine-Westphalia today is real traffic chaos! At around 8 a.m., 197 kilometers of traffic jams had already been recorded, particularly in the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf and the western Ruhr area. This situation is no surprise, as traffic is particularly heavy on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, there are often additional problems on public holidays with long weekends. RP Online reports numerous sections with gridlocked traffic, with some places even being affected by serious traffic jams.

The biggest traffic jams have formed on the following highway sections:

• A4 zwischen Köln-West und Kreuz Köln-Süd: 9 km Stau nach einem Unfall, mit einem Zeitverlust von etwa 30 Minuten.
• A43: 8 km Stau ebenfalls nach einem Unfall, Zeitverlust circa 30 Minuten.
• A52 Richtung Essen: über 10 km stockender Verkehr, Zeitverlust von rund 20 Minuten.
• A3 Mettmann – Ratingen-Ost: Stau ist ebenfalls zu verzeichnen.
• A46 Erkrath – AD Düsseldorf-Süd: Auch hier gibt es Stau.

Public transport is not unscathed

Local public transport is not spared from these traffic problems. There are delays due to repairs on the RB/RE line between Castrop-Rauxel Hbf and Dortmund-Mengede. The RE14 line between Gladbeck West, Bottrop Hbf and Essen Hbf is also struggling with partial cancellations; replacement bus services have been set up here. In the Kaarst region at the IKEA there are disruptions due to work on a level crossing.

Another painful point is the RB20 train cancellations between Herzogenrath and Alsdorf Annapark, which will last until June 28, 2026 due to overhead line work. On the RE19 from Emmerich Elten to Wesel there is replacement traffic due to construction work, which also affects the departure points. In addition, the RE5 and RE49 trains end in Friedrichsfeld due to construction work at the new “Am Industriepark” train station.

Causes of traffic jams and traffic situation in North Rhine-Westphalia

With 16.7 million inhabitants, North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous federal state in Germany and an important hub for intra-European goods traffic. Between 250 and 350 construction sites are set up every year, which, according to ADAC, is the main cause of many traffic jams in the region. In 2018, 486,000 km of traffic jams were recorded in North Rhine-Westphalia. With over 1.3 billion euros invested in infrastructure in 2018, similar funds are also planned for 2019. Traffic jam card has also found that the A1, A2, A3 and A4 are the main traffic axes in North Rhine-Westphalia and the situation is particularly acute during rush hours.

For commuters, travelers and truck drivers, spending time in traffic jams is a constant challenge. During the 2017 congestion assessment, more than 250,000 traffic jams were recorded on over 2,000 kilometers of highway, representing 19,000 more hours of traffic jams compared to the previous year. There is currently no end in sight to the traffic jam problem in North Rhine-Westphalia, and drivers should be prepared for tough journeys again.