Complete closure of the Elbe tunnel and the A7 in Hamburg next weekend
Quick Look
- The Elbe Tunnel and the A7 in Hamburg will be completely closed next weekend from Friday evening at 10 p.m. to Monday morning at 5 a.m.
- It is the sixth full closure since the beginning of the year.
- During the closure, the expansion of the section south of the Elbe Tunnel will be celebrated, which has been expanded to eight lanes and stands on pillars as a bridge structure.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Since the beginning of the year there have already been five full closures of the Elbe tunnel and the A7 in Hamburg. The expansion of the section south of the Elbe Tunnel began in 2020 and includes an expansion from six to eight lanes over four kilometers as a bridge structure on supporting pillars.
The Elbe Tunnel and the A7 in Hamburg will be completely closed again next weekend. The closure begins on Friday evening at 10 p.m. and is scheduled to end on Monday morning at 5 a.m., Autobahn GmbH Nord announced. The section between the Hamburg-Heimfeld and -Stellingen junctions is affected. It is the sixth full closure of both lanes since the beginning of the year. Last weekend, a closure of the A1 in the direction of Bremen caused long traffic jams in Hamburg.
The recommended diversion for national traffic in the direction of Flensburg is via the A1, the A21 and the B205, in the reverse order in the direction of Hanover. The route connects the Maschen junction south of Hamburg with the A7 junction Neumünster-Süd. However, there are often traffic jams on the A1 in the area of the Norderelbbrücke, which is also to be expected next weekend. In the city center, drivers can use the New Elbe Bridges.
End of construction work south of the Elbe Tunnel
During the full closure, the completion of the expansion section south of the Elbe Tunnel will be celebrated. There, the highway was expanded from six to eight lanes over a four-kilometer-long section. What's special: The highway stands as a bridge structure on supporting pillars. Two new lanes were installed in the gap between the two carriageways.
The so-called Elbmarsch elevated road forms the gap between the Elbe tunnel and the future Hamburg-Hafen motorway junction, explained Autobahn GmbH Nord. From 2028, the intersection will connect the A7 with the A26 West from the direction of Stade (Lower Saxony) and at some point also with the planned A26 East through the port to the A1 (Lübeck-Bremen).
The expansion of the A7 section began in 2020. Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) is expected to approve it on Saturday. However, traffic will only be allowed to move over the upgraded route from Monday morning, after the remaining work has been completed.
The Altona noise protection tunnel is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2029
During the full closure, the construction of the noise protection tunnel in the Altona area will also be pushed forward. The two-kilometer-long “lid” over the highway, which has also been widened to eight lanes, is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2029.
Autobahn GmbH has announced further traffic opening for the end of September. The construction work on the A25 Geesthacht - Hamburg between the Hamburg-Südost junction and the Neuallermöhe-West junction should then be completed and traffic on the important commuter route should flow unhindered again.
Open Questions
- How long will the total closure of the Elbe tunnel and the A7 last?
- When is the complete completion of the Hamburg-Hafen motorway interchange planned?
- What are the overall costs of expanding the A7 south of the Elbe Tunnel?