Elbe Tunnel Fully Reopened After Warning Strike on A7
Hamburg, February 25 – As of 6:00 AM on Tuesday, all lanes in the Elbe Tunnel are once again open to traffic. This follows the conclusion of a warning strike that had led to lane closures and significant traffic jams. The strike, which affected the A7, ended as planned before the morning rush hour, according to the Hamburg police traffic control center.
Strike Causes Traffic Disruptions
The warning strike, called by the ver.di trade union, began on Monday night and impacted the Elbe Tunnel’s control center staff. Similar to a previous strike on Friday, only two out of three lanes were open in each direction. The noise barrier tunnels in Schnelsen and Stellingen were also affected. This resulted in several kilometers of traffic jams in both directions on Monday morning, with slow-moving traffic also reported on the Norderelbe Bridge.
The strike occurred shortly after a weekend closure of the Elbe Tunnel. From Friday evening until early Monday morning, the tunnel was completely closed in the direction of Flensburg (between Hamburg-Heimfeld and Volkspark) and in the direction of Hanover (between Hamburg-Stellingen and Heimfeld) for construction work. This included the installation of three new traffic sign gantries and progress on the Altona noise barrier tunnel. A prior warning strike on Friday also led to reduced lane availability.
Ver.di Defends Strike Timing Amidst Wage Disputes
The strike is a result of ongoing wage negotiations between ver.di and Autobahn GmbH. Strikers gathered on the Behringstraße motorway bridge on Monday morning. Max Stempel, the ver.di union secretary responsible for Autobahn GmbH, defended the timing of the strike, which coincided with the full weekend closure. He stated that this was “unfortunately the planning of the nationwide wage round” and that no other dates were available. Stempel emphasized that strikes are always a last resort, implemented only when negotiations fail to yield solutions. He noted that after two rounds of negotiations, Autobahn GmbH had shown no movement, making a strike the only remaining option.
Negotiations to Continue, Autobahn GmbH Expresses Optimism
Autobahn GmbH has expressed confidence in reaching a balanced agreement in the third round of negotiations. The union is demanding a seven percent salary increase, with a minimum of 300 euros per month. Negotiations are scheduled to resume on Wednesday in Berlin.
Further A7 Closures Expected in 2026
The repeated closures of the A7 are part of its expansion to eight lanes and improvements to noise protection. The two-kilometer-long Altona noise barrier tunnel is expected to be completed by 2028.
Autobahn GmbH has announced several further A7 closures for 2026:
- March 20-23, 2026: A7 55-hour full closure (including work on the Altona cover, tunnel control center work – including 31-hour closure of the Stellingen Tunnel)
- April 17-20, 2026: A7 55-hour full closure (including work on the Altona cover, tunnel control center work)
- May 8-11, 2026: A7 55-hour full closure (including work on the Altona cover)
- June 12-15, 2026: A7 55-hour full closure (including work on the Altona cover)
- June 26-29, 2026: A7 Schnelsen Tunnel 55-hour full closure without Elbe Tunnel (including integration of the Schnelsen Tunnel control center)
- September 11-14, 2026: A7 55-hour full closure (including work on the Altona cover, tunnel control center work)
- September 25-28, 2026: A7 55-hour full closure (including work on the K20 elevated road)
Source: NDR.de
