Important motorway A43 closed: traffic jams and diversions expected in Herne!

Important motorway A43 closed: traffic jams and diversions expected in Herne!

Traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia is facing a renewed challenge. From Friday evening, September 12th at 7:30 p.m., the A43 will be completely closed in both directions until Monday, September 15th at 5:00 a.m. The reason for the extensive full closure is demolition work at the Herne intersection, where two of four bridges are to be demolished. This closure affects the section between Bochum-Riemke and the Recklinghausen intersection and has potentially far-reaching effects on traffic in the entire Ruhr area.

Motorists traveling in the direction of Münster and Wuppertal in particular have to be prepared for diversions. A large-scale diversion via the A40, A45 and A2 has already been set up. In addition, on Saturday, September 13th, the Herne-Baukau junction on the A42 towards Dortmund will be closed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., so that only one lane at the Herne-Horsthausen junction will be available for the diversion. These waiting loops should not be underestimated, as traffic jams and longer waiting times are to be expected on weekends, especially in the city center on the B226 and B227 between Bochum and Gelsenkirchen, where things could get tight.

Reconstruction and expansion of the infrastructure

The renovation at the Herne intersection is part of the larger plan to expand the A43 between Marl and Witten to six lanes. Over 90,000 vehicles use this important north-south axis in the Ruhr area every day. The A42, which is being expanded between Duisburg and Dortmund, will also be expanded from four to six lanes. There are around 82,000 vehicles on the road here every day. In addition, the Rhine-Herne Canal bridge over the A42 near Bottrop will be renewed and widened. These measures are necessary to cope with the constantly growing traffic density in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In the summer months, the A43 was often temporarily closed due to construction sites. The last significant measure was the opening of the Baukau tunnel. The situation in cities and on the highways is complex because, according to ADAC, construction sites are the main cause of many traffic jams in North Rhine-Westphalia. With 16.7 million inhabitants, the most populous federal state in Germany is heavily burdened and the transport infrastructure is put to a tough test, especially during rush hour.

The motorways in North Rhine-Westphalia are central hubs in intra-European goods traffic. The A1, A2, A3 and A4 are important traffic axes, and North Rhine-Westphalia occupies the inglorious first place in Germany according to the ADAC's traffic jam balance. Daily traffic jams and construction sites are part of the reality of commuters and travelers. To understand the current traffic situation, we recommend using live maps that show traffic jams in real time.

Overall, the work required for sustainable traffic optimization is important, even if it causes significant diversions and disruptions to everyday traffic in the short term. It remains to be hoped that the measures can be implemented quickly and smoothly so that drivers experience an improvement in the situation.

Further information on traffic and congestion conditions can be found at WDR, Ruhr24 and Jam detector.