Summer construction and holiday wave hit Hesse highways and rail lines as ADAC warns of heavy jams
With school holidays beginning in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, the ADAC warns of severe traffic jams and rail disruptions as a wave of summer construction work collides with holiday traffic.
Road bottlenecks across the Rhine-Main region
Nearly all motorways in the Rhine-Main area are affected by construction. The A3 between the Mönchhof triangle and Wiesbaden interchange is getting a new road surface, while works on the A60, A66, A7, A4 and A45 restrict capacity on key routes. Hessen Mobil reports 45 active sites on federal highways, 70 on state roads and 45 more added just during the summer holidays. Municipal road works add further friction, though no state-wide tally exists yet.
The carriageways are dilapidated, the bridges are dilapidated, it's urgent to do something here.
ADAC says that from Thursday afternoon the overlap of commuter and holiday traffic will cause jams in both north and south directions. The A7, one of Germany's main north-south arteries, is narrowed in several sections.
Rail passengers face diversions and a five-month closure
Rail travellers are also affected. The Lahn-Kinzig line, the Fulda–Bebra route and the Bensheim–Bürstadt link will see temporary closures. On the left bank of the Rhine (Cologne–Mainz), preparatory works are underway for the corridor renewal on the right bank, where a full closure will start on 10 July and last five months. S-Bahn and regional services through Frankfurt-Höchst, as well as works at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and Frankfurt-West, add to the disruption.
- Thursday afternoon: commuter and holiday traffic combine, first severe jams expected
- Friday midday: strong south and coastal holiday traffic builds up
- Saturday: extra excursion traffic to local recreation areas adds pressure
- Saturday evening: first return wave begins; repeat on Sunday evening
- Full five-month closure of the right Rhine rail line between Cologne and Mainz starts
Nationwide holiday wave and international pinch points
School holidays also begin in parts of Switzerland, Poland and Denmark, while Norway, Sweden and Finland are already on break. The ADAC forecasts a first big summer travel surge this weekend, with heavy traffic towards southern destinations and the North and Baltic Sea coasts from Friday midday. Excursion traffic on Saturday will add pressure, and return waves are expected on Saturday and Sunday evening. More than 1,000 motorway construction sites across Germany will slow traffic further.
- Federal roads (Hesse)
- 45
- State roads (Hesse)
- 70
- Additional summer sites (Hesse)
- 45
- Motorway sites (nationwide)
- 1000
Problem routes abroad
Key international holiday routes likely to see severe congestion include the Tauern, Fernpass, Inn Valley, Brenner and Gotthard corridors. Drivers heading to Alpine crossings or the Mediterranean should expect long delays, especially where construction and holiday peaks combine.
