Autobahn GmbH began preparations for the complete closure of the large construction site on the evening of 6 August 2024.
“As of 2:28 a.m., there is no longer any traffic on the motorway section. As of this moment, the setting up of barriers and signs has been completed,” Susanne Schlenga of Autobahn GmbH, the German motorway authority, told the “Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung”.
As a result, the section between the Harpen and Westkreuz junctions will be completely closed in both directions until mid-November.
Detours
During the complete closure, traffic has been diverted along the A448 motorway, south of Bochum. From Essen towards Dortmund, drivers should take the A448 at the Bochum West junction, then onto the A43 at the Bochum/Witten junction and return to the A40 at the Bochum junction. From Dortmund towards Essen, the diversion is exactly the opposite.
A good decision and a well-chosen period
“There will certainly be increased loads and additional traffic jams on the detours,” said Dirk Krüger, traffic expert from ADAC in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Nevertheless, the timing is favourable, as part of the summer holidays and autumn holidays fall during the road closure period.
The complete closure of the A40 motorway due to the construction of a bridge is a good decision, experts believe.
“It’s really a super-fast measure,” Martin Mertens, professor of civil and environmental engineering, told Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Without the blockade, “it would have taken a year and a half”. In contrast, the anticipated closure period is 15 weeks. The road is expected to be opened to traffic in November.
