B10 tunnel near Annweiler: Mega closure in 2026 will bring chaos!

B10 tunnel near Annweiler: Mega closure in 2026 will bring chaos!

In the region around Annweiler, intensive construction work will begin in 2026, which will entail major changes for road users. As the Rhine Palatinate reported, the B10 tunnel route will be completely closed due to dilapidated technology, a measure that was originally planned for this year but has now been postponed to 2026. The closure is expected to last ten weeks and will cause traffic chaos. New LED signs are planned to direct traffic during this time.

But the planning of the B10 is not just limited to the closure. Economics and Transport Minister Daniela Schmitt (FDP) sees the expansion of the B10 near Annweiler as a future-oriented opportunity. According to the SWR Ten different variants were examined for a four-lane expansion north of Annweiler, with the “B1+” variant standing out as the most environmentally friendly. This variant, which provides for a 5.3 kilometer long tunnel with two lanes, directs traffic towards Pirmasens. The existing tunnels will then only be used in the direction of Landau.

Challenges and perspectives

Despite the positive response to the “B1+” variant, there are numerous challenges. The expansion will not take place immediately as a comprehensive planning approval process is required, which will take several years. The estimated construction costs of 260 million euros are another point that has been a topic of discussion for years. Schmitt is hoping for the support of the new Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU), because the expansion could only be pushed forward with sufficient funds from Berlin.

The citizens' initiatives in the region show a divided picture: While the initiative "B10 - 4lane now!" with around 8,000 members fighting for expansion, there is also strong opposition. The Queichtal citizens' initiative has been opposing the plans for over 20 years because it has major concerns about the environmental impact. Critics fear that the expansion will not only put a strain on nature, but also on the Palatinate Forest Biosphere Reserve.

Climate protection in view

This discussion about the expansion of the B10 falls into a larger context that concerns climate protection. At the DGNB annual congress, experts said that a rethink is needed in the construction sector, especially when working on transport routes, in order to drastically reduce CO2 emissions. Around 17% of greenhouse gases in Germany come from the construction of bridges and roads, as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology found, and Autobahn GmbH is already planning pilot projects to assess the sustainability of transport infrastructure.

It is important that the regulations also need to be revised with regard to sustainability. Incentives for innovative design of projects through a CO2 shadow price could give the construction industry a decisive boost. In these complex discussions, which also affect the construction of transport routes, there is a great need for action - not only in the region around Annweiler, but for the whole of Germany.