Border controls put a strain on commuters: traffic jams on the A4 despite the bridge being open!

Border controls put a strain on commuters: traffic jams on the A4 despite the bridge being open!

The connection between Görlitz and Zgorzelec is open again. You might think that traffic jams on the A4 motorway are a thing of the past. But like that Sächsische.de reported that traffic is still tense. The A4 motorway in particular remains affected by traffic jams, which put both passengers and truck drivers under strain.

The Polish truck driver Antoni knows his way around the A4 very well. It mainly transports furniture and wooden products from the east of Poland to the west of Europe. As he explains during a break at the Löbauer Wasser Nord rest area in the direction of Dresden, he always plans one to two hours more to enter Germany, especially since the border controls were introduced in October 2023.

Border controls affect traffic

The introduction of border controls by Germany and Poland has an impact on commuters and truck drivers, and Antoni is affected by these changes. The controls are initially ordered until April 2024 and will result in additional waiting times. The closure of the city bridge in Görlitz in particular made the situation worse as it led to an increase in the number of cars between trucks, which consequently also increased waiting times. However, there is no official evidence of longer waiting times.

Like that MDR notes, there are a total of 17 official border crossings between Poland and Saxony where controls are carried out. These not only affect road traffic, but also footpaths and railway lines. Mobile patrols are also deployed on the Polish side of the Neisse. Despite the controls, there was little impact on traffic at the Ludwigsdorf border crossing on Monday; There were no long queues.

Discontent among residents

However, the return of border controls is also causing anger among residents on both sides of the Neisse. Many find the controls unnecessary and burdensome. Saxony's Economics Minister Dirk Panter has also expressed concerns and emphasized that these new measures represent an additional burden for commuters and companies operating across borders. “We must keep in mind the importance of an open Europe and cross-border transport for the people and the economy in the region,” said Panter.

In summary, although the reopening of the connection between Görlitz and Zgorzelec is a ray of hope, the challenges on the A4 and the existing border control situation continue to shape the everyday lives of citizens and economic actors in the region.