A1 and A2 weekend closures hit NRW as summer holidays begin across Germany
Two major motorways in North Rhine-Westphalia will be fully closed over the weekend for resurfacing and bridge works, just as summer holidays begin in eight German states, threatening heavy congestion.
Weekend closures on two key routes
The A2 motorway between the Kamener Kreuz interchange and the Hamm junction in the direction of Hannover will be fully closed from Friday 3 July at 21:00 until Monday 6 July at 05:00. The closure is to allow the application of noise-reducing asphalt. At the same time, the A1/A61 between the Erftstadt junction and the Bliesheim interchange near Cologne will be completely shut for bridge construction work on the Merowingerstraße replacement project.
The closure begins on Friday evening at 9 p.m. and is scheduled to last until Monday morning at 5 a.m.
What is being built
On the A2, crews will lay a new surface of noise-reducing asphalt. The Autobahn GmbH Westfalen also announced plans for a similar resurfacing in the opposite direction towards Oberhausen, but a specific date has not yet been set. On the A1/A61, the weekend work involves lifting and mounting elements of the future bridge superstructure as part of the Merowingerstraße replacement.
Holiday travel surge
The closures coincide with the start of summer holidays in several German states. Bremen and Lower Saxony began their holidays on 2 July, while Saxony, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein, and Saxony-Anhalt start on 4 July. Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Hesse have been on holiday since 29 June. North Rhine-Westphalia's own holidays do not begin until 20 July, meaning many through-travelers will be on the roads this weekend.
- Summer holidays begin in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Hesse
- Summer holidays begin in Bremen and Lower Saxony
- A2 and A1/A61 closures start
- Summer holidays begin in Saxony, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein, and Saxony-Anhalt
- Closures end
- Summer holidays begin in North Rhine-Westphalia
Detours and alternative routes
Long-distance traffic on the A2 will be diverted from the Bottrop triangle via the A31 and A30, with the A1, A44, and A33 serving as additional alternatives.
Local traffic will be routed via the A1 to Kamen junction and then along diversion U67 through Bönen. For the A1/A61 closure, a detour marked with a red dot will be signposted. Drivers are advised to expect delays.Long-distance traffic will be diverted from the Bottrop triangle via the A31 and A30.
