Construction site chaos: 10% of Germany's highways currently blocked!

Construction site chaos: 10% of Germany's highways currently blocked!

Deutschland - The construction site situation on Germany's highways is currently extremely challenging. Around 10% of the total motorway network is currently affected by construction work. This means that a total length of more than 2000 kilometers is being rebuilt at the moment. Around 1,000 construction projects are also being processed, with twice the number of travel directions affected by the work. The descriptions in the reports clarify that construction sites are one of the main causes of traffic jams on German highways.

Special problems arise when lanes are eliminated or the permissible speed is significantly reduced. In such situations, traffic jams are practically inevitable. In many of the construction sites, the track width is reduced to 2.50 meters, which is a real challenge, especially for larger vehicles. Another challenge is the view and route at night, where the unfavorable lighting can also lead to critical traffic situations. Especially in these phases there are often accidents.

The dimensions of the motorway network

Germany has a road network of around 650,000 kilometers, with the motorway network with almost 13,000 kilometers the second largest in Europe. There are a total of around 1,300 kilometers of motorway in Germany that can be used without a speed limit. These long-distance traffic roads play a central role in quick and freight traffic in the country. Autobahn GmbH has been responsible for the construction and the administration of the motorway network in Germany since 2021. Despite the increasing number of employment, however, the motorway expansion is stagnating.

In recent years, it has become clear that the quality of the streets and the condition of the motorway bridges requires a higher investment. Investments of around 8.77 billion euros are planned for 2024 to improve the condition of the infrastructure.

traffic jams and accident risks

The traffic jams on highways are a growing problem. In 2023, 427,000 hours were registered on German motorways alone, which represents an increase of around 30 percent compared to the previous year. In addition to construction sites, accidents and high traffic are also among the most common causes of traffic jams. In the past, it was seen that traffic jams with a total length of over 600,000 kilometers performed in 2012. On the A99, one of the most frequently affected highways, there were remarkable 2,655 traffic jams per 100 kilometers in summer travel traffic.

Unfortunately, accidents are also worrying. In 2023 there were 2,320 crashed per 1,000 kilometers on German highways. The most common causes of the accident are insufficient distance and non -adapted speed, which underlines how important safe driving and speed adjustments are in critical situations.

In summary, the current reports from KN Online , stau.info and Statista that the construction site situation on German cars are complex. The future expansion and maintenance of these decisive traffic routes must be a priority in order to ensure security and the flow of traffic.