A7 Southbound Closure in Hamburg This Weekend for Elbmarsch Elevated Road Completion
Hamburg, September 3 – The A7 motorway will be closed southbound this upcoming weekend, from Friday at 10 PM until Monday morning at 5 AM. The affected section spans between the Hamburg-Stellingen and Hamburg-Heimfeld junctions, encompassing the crucial Elbtunnel. This measure is being implemented to facilitate the final construction work on the Elbmarsch elevated road.
Extensive Closure for Final Construction Phase
The closure of the southbound lanes towards Hanover on the A7 will commence on Friday at 10 PM. The section from Hamburg-Stellingen to Hamburg-Heimfeld, including the Elbtunnel, will remain inaccessible until Monday morning at 5 AM. Entrance ramps at Hamburg-Volkspark, -Bahrenfeld, -Othmarschen, -Waltershof, -Hausbruch, and -Heimfeld will close an hour earlier, at 9 PM on Friday.
“This closure is essential as the Autobahn GmbH carries out the final work for the Elbmarsch elevated road,” stated a representative. The bridge is expected to be completed and opened to the public by the end of September.
Wide-ranging Detours in Place
Motorists traveling south will be directed to a wide-ranging detour via the A1, A21, and B205. For those approaching from the north, the recommended route begins at the Neumünster-Süd junction, continuing onto the B205. Large and heavy transports must avoid the A7 southbound altogether, as passage will not be possible through the affected section.
A7 Widening Project: Six Years of Work for Eight Lanes
The completion of this phase marks a significant milestone in the A7 widening project. The vision of eight lanes south of the Elbtunnel is now nearing realization. For six years, DEGES, the federal highway planning agency, has been working on widening the A7 between the Elbtunnel and Hamburg-Hausbruch. This project involved adding an extra lane in each direction to Germany’s longest motorway bridge, the 3.8-kilometer-long Elbmarsch elevated road, which stands on hundreds of concrete stilts.
Expansion of the Elevated Motorway
During the construction of the elevated motorway in the 1960s, foresight led to leaving space between the two parallel carriageway bridges. This space has now been utilized to integrate the two additional lanes. To bring these new lanes into operation, the elevated road must undergo final inspection and the traffic management system needs to be adjusted accordingly.
Next A7 Closure North of the Elbtunnel Scheduled
Another A7 closure is already scheduled for the following week. This time, it will not be on both sides of the Elbtunnel but will involve the southbound lanes between Hamburg-Schnelsen-Nord and Hamburg-Stellingen, and the northbound lanes between Hamburg-Volkspark and Hamburg-Schnelsen-Nord. These closures are for the maintenance of the two noise barrier tunnels in Schnelsen and Stellingen.
The long-term construction efforts aim to improve traffic flow and capacity on this vital artery, impacting thousands of commuters and travelers. While the closures present temporary inconveniences, they are crucial steps towards the modernization and expansion of Hamburg’s infrastructure.
