A61 motorway closure Bonn is experiencing even more traffic congestion than usual
Bonn · The constant traffic jams on the A565, mean that Bonn, the “traffic jam capital”, is also feeling the effects of the A61 closure. How are those responsible for the motorways, the fire brigade and emergency services assessing the situation?
A recent snapshot is indicative: Evening rush hour traffic on the A565 motorway near Bonn - it is usually very busy. These days, however, the traffic is flowing particularly slowly. And it is not just a sense that the congestion and number of obstructions have increased. It is partly due to the general situation on the Bonn section of the motorway. But the fact that the A565 is currently providing an alternative route for the closed A61 following the devastating flood disaster also has a role to play. The likelihood of congestion is evident even in quieter periods. The so-called centipede bridge, for example, is designed to accommodate 70,000 vehicles a day, but is used by 93,000 vehicles on average. In addition, there are well-known permanent construction sites. It's not just the commuters who might be wondering: Will it get worse at the end of the school holidays from 17 August?
“Coming from the direction of Koblenz, the A565 from the Meckenheim junction is indeed busier than usual as the motorway is currently being used as an alternative route,” says Helge Wego, regional spokesman for the responsible federal motorway company, registering what is currently obvious for motorists in response to a GA enquiry. Wego is holding back on forecasts for traffic resumption on the affected sections of the A61 which would in turn relieve the A565 in the Bonn area. After the flood disaster, around 40 major damage sites have been registered throughout NRW and are being worked on at full speed. “Reconstructing the destroyed or damaged bridges in the area of the Erfttal A1/A61 motorway interchange will also take a lot of time. For these reasons, we cannot yet say how long this alternative situation via the A565 will last.”
Roadworks exacerbate traffic problems
The keyword is the well-known hotspots: The road works in the Endenich/Poppelsdorf area cause the traffic to come to a standstill time and again. Only at the end of May did closures between the Bonn-Endenich junction and the Bonn-Nord motorway intersection create restrictions. “The current increase in traffic is also the cause of the congestion in this area,” says Autobahn-GmbH spokesman Wego. He points out that all lanes are still in use, despite the constrictions during the works on the bridge. Traffic is stuck on the A555 too. Lorries and cars jostle closely together from the roundabout all the way up to Bornheim.
“It is narrow here because Autobahn GmbH has erected an additional mid-section support at the Endenicher Ei bridge where the structure has to be renewed. There are currently beacons and markings in the area of the central reservation only,” says Wego. According to Autobahn GmbH, direct work on the replacement Endenicher Ei will begin in the spring or summer of 2023. The spokesperson confirms that the Bonner Nordbrücke also has to accommodate more traffic at the moment. “However, we have seen that a lot of traffic is now running along the A3 on the right bank of the Rhine, which relativises the additional load on the Nordbrücke along the A565,” Wego is convinced.
Heavy goods traffic is diverted in good time
The heavy goods traffic coming from Kreuz Meckenheim, which requires approval for crossing the Nordbrücke, is diverted from the A565 to the A555 in good time, he explains. “The reason for this is not only the Nordbrücke, but also the centipede bridge between Tannenbusch and Endenich,” says Wego. At the Hardtberg junction, this traffic is firstly routed via the municipal Konrad-Adenauer-Damm, then over state roads to the Bornheim motorway junction on the A555 towards Cologne. “On the right bank of the Rhine, there is the alternative of taking a large-scale detour via the A3.”
Prior to the establishment of the federal government's GmbH, the state company Straßen.NRW was responsible for the motorways and therefore also the A565. Today, the federal highways and the state roads fall under the responsibility of Straßen.NRW. No worsening of the situation near the A565 can be observed at present, says spokeswoman Nilgün Ulbrich in response to a GA enquiry. “We do not expect this situation to worsen at the end of the school holidays, as road users will bypass the partially and fully closed federal highways and state roads and are more likely to use alternative motorways due to the A61 closure.” However, this in turn could affect the A565.
Fire brigade operations not at risk
The Bonn fire brigade has the regional motorway sections on its radar as an important part of its emergency routes. “We are constantly monitoring the situation anyway, regardless of current developments,” says Carsten Schneider, deputy head of the professional fire department. The feedback from his colleagues who are called out has not given any reason for alarm at the moment. Alternative routes are planned from the outset and vehicles are relocated accordingly; they think and act on a daily basis, Schneider explained. “Time delays have not caused us any significant problems so far,” he said.
The current traffic situation has not problematic for the rescue service of the German Red Cross (DRK) either. As a rule, the A565 does not play a major role in their operations, since two ambulances are stationed at the Bonn-Beuel station as part of the contract with the city of Bonn, says Daniel Lutz, head of emergency rescue at the German Red Cross. On behalf of the rescuers, Carsten Schmidt from the fire department sums up the situation with a comment that is probably true for most motorists as well: “We will be pleased when things ease. The sooner the better”.
(Original text: Alexander Hertel, Translation: Caroline Kusch)
