Full closure of Germany’s A2. The diversion runs along a route subject to the truck ban
From Friday evening, the A2 towards Berlin will be completely closed in the Hanover area. The disruption will last until Monday morning, and on Saturday the situation will be further complicated by the holiday truck driving ban affecting part of the diversion route.
From Friday evening, drivers travelling on the A2 motorway towards Berlin should expect major disruption in the Hanover area. On 7 August at around 7:00 p.m., the carriageway will be fully closed from the Hannover-West interchange. The restrictions will remain in place until Monday, 10 August, at around 5:00 a.m. For heavy goods transport, the weekend driving bans will create an additional obstacle.
According to Autobahn GmbH, during the second stage of the so-called Turbobaustelle, the A2 road surface between the Langenhagen and Bothfeld junctions will be renewed. However, the full closure towards Berlin will already begin at the Hannover-West interchange. The Langenhagen and Bothfeld junctions will also be unavailable. The works are expected to continue without interruption for around 58 hours.
Traffic towards Berlin will be diverted from Hannover-West via the A352 to the Mellendorf interchange and then via the A7 to the Hannover-Ost interchange, where drivers will be able to rejoin the A2.
Saturday, 8 August, will be particularly important for drivers. In Germany, from 1 July to 31 August, an additional holiday truck driving ban applies every Saturday between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. It applies to trucks with a maximum permissible weight of more than 7.5 tonnes and to trucks with trailers used for commercial or professional goods transport, including related empty runs. However, the ban applies only on roads and sections specified in German regulations.
On the A2, the holiday restriction applies to the section from Kreuz Oberhausen to Kreuz Bad Oeynhausen, meaning it does not cover the section in the Hanover area that will be closed this weekend. The problem arises on the official diversion route. The holiday ban applies to the A7 from Soltau-Süd to Hannover-Ost. This means that the section of the A7 from Mellendorf to Hannover-Ost, which forms part of the diversion around the closed A2, is subject to the Saturday ban.
Map of holiday truck bans
In practice, this means that trucks subject to the holiday restriction will not be able to use the designated A352 and A7 diversion on Saturday between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Hauliers planning to travel through Hanover should therefore adjust their travel times or routes accordingly, taking into account the applicable exemptions from the ban.
The weekend restrictions do not end there. On Sunday, 9 August, the standard Sunday truck driving ban applies throughout Germany from midnight until 10:00 p.m. It covers commercial and professional goods transport by trucks with a maximum permissible weight of more than 7.5 tonnes and by trucks with trailers, subject to the exemptions provided for in the regulations.
For heavy goods transport, Friday evening and Saturday will therefore be the most problematic periods. The A2 is one of Germany’s most important transit corridors, linking the western part of the country with Hanover, Magdeburg and Berlin. The closure towards Berlin and the limited ability of trucks to use the official diversion on Saturday may increase traffic on alternative routes in the region.
According to the schedule, the A2 towards Berlin is due to reopen on Monday, 10 August, at around 5:00 a.m.
