Traffic jam alarm: Border controls cause traffic chaos on the A3 and A12!

Traffic jam alarm: Border controls cause traffic chaos on the A3 and A12!

Anyone who goes on a trip to neighboring Holland today, August 24, 2025, should be well informed. The A3 and A12 motorways are the main connections between Germany and the Netherlands and experience has shown that they are always a busy route. Loud Travel reporter Traffic jams at the border crossing in Elten are not uncommon, especially on weekends, during holidays or when there is a high volume of trucks.

According to the traffic situation, there are currently additional challenges: construction sites, accidents or temporary border controls can become a stress test not only for people who want to go abroad, but also for daily commuter traffic. Traffic is usually particularly heavy, especially on public holidays and long weekends. FFH continuously reports from Frankfurt about current traffic jams and provides insights into the traffic situation on main routes in the Rhine-Main area.

Delays in Cologne

But even here the roads are not exactly free of traffic jams. The situation in Cologne this morning is anything but relaxed, as the information from Traffic jam card prove. Some of the affected areas are:

• Köln-Mülheim: Stau zwischen Mülheimer Zubringer/B8 und Clevischer Ring, Zeitverlust: 7 Minuten, Länge: 0.5 km.
• L188: Verkehr zwischen Opladener Straße – Justinianstraße und Zoobrücke, Zeitverlust: 6 Minuten, Länge: 0.8 km.
• Deutz: Stau zwischen Deutz und Messeallee West, Zeitverlust: 6 Minuten, Länge: 0.3 km.
• K14: Stau zwischen Statthalterhofweg / Kölner Weg und Aachener Straße (B55), Zeitverlust: 6 Minuten, Länge: 0.2 km.
• B55a: Zwischen B55a und B55a, Zeitverlust: 6 Minuten, Länge: 0.5 km.

Not only are the roads occasionally overloaded, the B55a between Höhenberger Ring and Pfälzischer Ring/Messe also shows signs of slowing traffic with a loss of time of 4 minutes and a length of 2.6 km.

Tips for travelers

Those looking to escape traffic jams are advised to consider alternative routes. On the A3 near Elten/Babberich you can switch to the B8, and the A40 towards Venlo also offers the possibility of avoiding the usual routes via the A61 and A73. However, caution is advised: these routes are often very busy. The traffic rules and speed limits in the Netherlands should also be kept in mind when traveling through.

In summary: If you keep an eye on the streets in and around Cologne and also at the border crossings, you can plan better and avoid a lot of stress. Stay tuned and enjoy the ride!