Bonn-Nord Bridge closed to heavy goods vehicles from 9 February
From 9 February 2026, hauliers travelling through Bonn will have to take into account significant changes to traffic organisation. The Bonn-Nord Bridge on the A565 motorway will be closed to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) exceeding 7.5 tonnes, resulting in detours and longer journey times in one of the most heavily congested areas of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The decision was confirmed on 19 January during a joint traffic management meeting attended, among others, by representatives of the City of Bonn, the Rhein-Sieg district and the Cologne regional authorities. On 9 February, appropriate road signage will be installed in the vicinity of the bridge. In addition, the newly introduced ban will be announced via digital traffic information boards (dWiSta) located on motorways over a wide radius around Bonn. The restriction will apply to all vehicles with a GVWR exceeding 7.5 tonnes. Exemptions apply to emergency services vehicles, the fire brigade, infrastructure maintenance services, civil defence units and civil protection services. All other heavy vehicles will be required to use the designated diversion routes.
The authorities have agreed on a temporary exemption for school buses. Traffic by these vehicles will be permitted until the end of the 2025/2026 school year. The decision was justified by the small number of daily journeys and the clearly defined duration of the exemption.
The Bonn-Nord Bridge was opened to traffic in 1967. The structure has two lanes in each direction as well as turning lanes. More than 100,000 vehicles cross it every day, around 5% of which are heavy goods vehicles. As infrastructure operators emphasise, the bridge was designed for significantly lower loads, and its age and technical condition mean that it no longer meets the requirements of modern and future traffic, particularly with regard to heavy transport. Hauliers operating routes through North Rhine-Westphalia should take these changes into account when planning their routes already at the beginning of February.
