Bundesautobahn 4

Bundesautobahn 4 (translates from German as Federal Motorway 4, short form Autobahn 4, abbreviated as BAB 4 or A 4) is an autobahn that crosses Germany in a west–east direction. The western segment has a length of 156 km (97 mi), the part in the east is 429 km (267 mi) long. Works to continue the A 4 are in progress, but currently no plans exist to fill the gap completely.

A4
Bundesautobahn 4
Route information
Length616 km (383 mi)
Existed1934–present
Major junctions
 
Route
A76
E314
Netherlands

(1) Vetschau border crossing
(-) Bocholtz
The offramp of the Dutch exit Bocholtz is on German territory
(2) Aachen-Laurensberg
(3) Aachen-Zentrum B57
Toresberg parking area
(4) Aachen 4-way interchange A44 / E40, A544
Services Aachener Land
(5a) Eschweiler-West B264
(5b) Eschweiler-Ost B264
Alte Kippe parking area
(5c) Weisweiler
Inde bridge
(5d) Langerwehe
Rest area Rur-Scholle
Rur bridge 100 m
(6) Düren B56
(7a) Merzenich
Wildlife crossing 35 m
(7b) Elsdorf B477
(8) Kerpen
(8) Kerpen 4-way interchange A61
Erftbrücke 50 m
Frechen-Königsdorf (under construction)
Services Frechen
(9b) Frechen-Nord
(10) Köln-West 4-way interchange A1 / E31
Kölner Ring
(11) Köln-Klettenberg B265
() Containerbahnhof Köln-Eifeltor
(12) Köln-Süd 4-way interchange A555
Rheinbrücke Rodenkirchen 567 m
(13) Köln-Poll
(14) Gremberg 4-way interchange A559
(15) Heumarer Dreieck A3 / E35 A59
(16) Kreuz Köln-Ost A3 / E35
Kölner Ring B55a
(17) Köln-Merheim
(18) Refrath
Rest area Lustheide
(19) Bensberg
(20) Moitzfeld B55
Röttgesberg parking area
(21) Overath-Untereschbach
Talbrücke Holzbach 440 m
(22) Overath B55 B484
Aggerbrücke 110 m
Services Aggertal
Talbrücke Schlingenbach 230 m
Erlenhof parking area
Talbrücke 170 m
Talbrücke Loopebach 370 m
Talbrücke 400 m
(23) Engelskirchen
Talbrücke 470 m
Bellingroth parking area
(24) Wiehl/Bielstein
Talbrücke Molbach 210 m
Wiehltalbrücke 705 m
Hömeler Feld parking area
Brücke 280 m
(25) Gummersbach
Rest area Morkepütz
Talbrücke Alpebach 310 m
(26) Reichshof/Bergneustadt B256
Rest area Hasbacher Höhe
(27) Reichshof-Eckenhagen
(28) Olpe-Süd A45 / E41 E40
Biggebrücke 230 m
(28) Wenden
Talbrücke Dahl 126 m
Talbrücke Altenberg 239 m
Talbrücke Elben 430 m
(29) Krombach B54
Biedenkopf (planned)
Wetter (Hessen)-West (planned)
Wetter (Hessen)-Süd (planned)
Sarnau (planned)
Cölbe (planned)
Schönstadt (planned)
Kirchhain (planned)
Stadtallendorf (planned)
3-way interchange Stadtallendorf (planned) A49
Neustadt (Hessen) (planned)
3-way interchange Neustadt (Hessen) (planned) A49
Schwalmstadt (planned)
Neukirchen (planned)
Oberaula (planned)
(31) Kirchheim 3-way interchange A7 / E45
E40
Services Kirchheim will be closed
Asbachgrund/Engersburg parking area
Asbachtalbrücke 280 m
Rest area Auerhahnkuppe
Fuldabrücke 110 m
(32) Bad Hersfeld B27 B62
Talbrücke Siebenborn 260 m
Talbrücke Großer Kessel 220 m
(33) Friedewald
Rest area
Talbrücke Eichhorst 240 m
(34) Wildeck-Hönebach
(35) Wildeck-Obersuhl
(36) Gerstungen western part
Weihetalbrücke Richelsdorf 584 m
(36) Gerstungen eastern part
Talbrücke 70 m
Talbrücke Fuchsloch 80 m
Wommen (planned) A44
Talbrücke Wommen 304 m
(37) Wommen B400 ()
Brücke Frauenborner Bach 120 m
(38) Herleshausen B7a
Werratalbrücke 732 m
Services Eisenach
Raststätte Ramsberg will be closed ()
(39) Eisenach-West B7 B19
(40) Eisenach-Ost B84
parking area
Talbrücke Hörseltal 422 m
(40b) Sättelstädt
(41a) Waltershausen
Services Hörselgau
(41b) Gotha-Boxberg
(42) Gotha B247
Apfelstädttalbrücke 150 m
Rest area
(43) Wandersleben
(44) Neudietendorf/Arnstadt-West
(45) Erfurt 4-way interchange A71
Gerabrücke 110 m
(46) Erfurt-West B4
Rest area Willroder Forst
(47a) Erfurt-Ost
(47b) Erfurt-Vieselbach
Services Eichelborn
(48) Nohra
(49) Weimar B85
Rest area
(50) Apolda B87
Ilmtalbrücke 385 m
(51) Magdala
Raststätte Schorba
(52) Schorba
parking area
Tunnel Jagdbergtunnel 3034 m
(53) Jena-Göschwitz B88
Saaletalbrücke 838 m
Tunnel Einhausung Lobeda 600 m
(54) Jena-Zentrum
Podelsatzbrücke224 m
Talbrücke Zeitzgrund 295 m
(55) Stadtroda
Services Teufelstal
Teufelstalbrücke 270 m
(56a) Hermsdorfer Kreuz A9 / E51
(56b) Hermsdorf-Ost
(57) Rüdersdorf
Thieschitzer Talbrücke 270 m
Talbrücke Weiße Elster 160 m
(58a) Gera-Langenberg B2 B7
(58b) Gera
(59) Gera-Leumnitz
(60) Ronneburg B7
Sprottetalbrücke 200 m
(61) Schmölln
Pleißenbrücke 550 m
Crimmitschau (planned)
(62) Meerane B93
(63) Glauchau-West
Rest area Am Angerberg
(64) Glauchau-Ost B175
Talbrücke Zwickauer Mulde 550 m
(65) Hohenstein-Ernstthal B180
(planned)
(66) Wüstenbrand
Raststätte Rabensteiner Wald
parking area
(67) Limbach-Oberfrohna
(68) Kreuz Chemnitz 4-way interchange A72 / E441
(69) Chemnitz-Mitte B95
Tunnel Eisenbahnunterfahrung 35 m
(70) Chemnitz-Glösa B107
Services Auerswalder Blick
(71) Chemnitz-Ost
Zschopaubrücke 90 m
(72) Frankenberg B169
(planned)
(73) Hainichen
Talbrücke Kleine Striegis 357 m
(74) Berbersdorf
(75) Siebenlehn B101
Talbrücke Freiberger Mulde 413 m
Rest area
Talbrücke Tännichtbach 190 m
(76) Nossen 3-way interchange A14
Triebischtalbrücke 427 m
Triebischseitentalbrücke 349 m
Saubachtalbrücke 253 m
(77a) Wilsdruff
Services Dresdner Tor
(77b) Dresden-West 3-way interchange A17 E55
(78) Dresden-Altstadt B6
Elbebrücke 496 m
(79) Dresden-Neustadt
Unionbrücke 280 m
(80) Dresden-Wilder Mann
(81a) Dresden-Hellerau E55 B170
(81b) Dresden-Flughafen
(82) Dresden-Nord 3-way interchange A13 E55
Weixdorf (planned)
(83) Hermsdorf B97
Rest area Grünberg
(84) Ottendorf-Okrilla
(85) Pulsnitz
(86) Ohorn
Rest area Ohorn
Grünbrücke 50 m
(87) Burkau
(88a) Uhyst am Taucher
Services Oberlausitz
(88b) Salzenforst
(89) Bautzen-West B96
Spreetalbrücke 160 m
(90) Bautzen-Ost B156
Rest area Purschwitz
(91) Weißenberg
Rest area Buchholz
(92) Nieder-Seifersdorf
Tunnel Königshainer Berge 3300 m
Rest area Kodersdorf
Talbrücke Weißer Schöps 303 m
(93) Kodersdorf B115
(94) Görlitz B6
(95) Görlitz border crossing
Neißebrücke 340 m

A4
E40
Zgorzelec (Poland)
Location
StatesNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Saxony, Thuringia
Highway system
A3 A5
A4 heading towards Aachen at inter-section with A559 on the Cologne Beltway

The A 4 starts north-west of Aachen, where the Dutch A76 enters Germany. Initially it is 2 lanes each way with no speed limit. From Kreuz Aachen to Düren and from Kerpen to Refrath (between Refrath and Köln-Merheim westbound the hard shoulder is the 3rd lane and only open at peak times) it has 3 lanes each way. Between Kreuz Köln-West and Kreuz Heumar it forms the southern part of the Cologne Beltway (Kölner Autobahnring). The whole rest of the section between Kreuz Aachen and Kreuz Köln-West has a variable speed limit. Between Merzenich and Elsdorf, there is a speed limit of 130 km/h, that has been imposed in 2017, due to an increase of accidents.[1] Between Kreuz Köln-West and Kreuz Heumar the speed limit is 120 km/h. From Kreuz Köln-Ost to Refrath there is a maximum limit of 100 km/h. The westbound section between Köln-Merheim and Kreuz Köln-Ost is restricted to 80 km/h. The section between Refrath and the current terminus at Krombach has no speed limit. Only between Untereschbach and Refrath westbound there is a 100 km/h speed limit from 6 - 10 am on weekdays. It is mostly 2 lanes each way, but between Untereschbach and Wiehl there are several additional climbing lanes in both directions.

The eastern part starts at the Kirchheim intersection (with the A 7) and goes through Eisenach, Gotha, Erfurt, Weimar, Jena, Gera, Chemnitz and Dresden to Görlitz, where it crosses the border to Poland and continues as A4 (Poland).

The westernmost 11 kilometers of the A 4 form the most easterly stretch of the European route E314: continuing east from the Aachen interchange (Kreuz Aachen), the A 4 is part of the European route E40. European routes don't have gaps and E40 follows A 45 and A 5, which is a suitable route past the gap of A 4.

The first sections of the A 4 were built in the years 1934 to 1937. Just west of Eisenach was the Wartha-Herleshausen border checkpoint between East and West Germany. However, just eight kilometers down the road, after the Wommen interchange, the road crosses back into the former territory of East Germany into Gerstungen (today in Thuringia) for seven kilometers, before crossing back to the former West Germany at Wildeck. Because of that, the section between Wommen and Wildeck-Obersuhl interchanges was closed and fell into decay during the time of German division, it was bypassed by B400 road. Repairs of those parts are scheduled to be completed in 2007. Reconstruction of last section in Thuringia between Eisenach and Gotha near the former Inner German Border began in 2007 and required building 25 km (16 mi) of new road. Vinci SA and Hochtief were the contracted to build the new road.[2]

A4 near Dresden, Saxony.

Wiehltalbrücke accident

The "Wiehltalbrücke" is a bridge which carries the A 4 across the valley of the river Wiehl. The A 4 near Gummersbach, North Rhine-Westphalia was the site of the most expensive traffic accident in German history: On 26 August 2004, a BMW M3, whose driver did not hold a driving licence and was later found to be driving under the influence, collided with a tanker lorry, carrying 33,000 litres of gasoline. The lorry broke through a guardrail, fell off the Wiehltalbrücke and exploded, killing the driver. The subsequent fire caused severe structural damage to the bridge. The driver of the BMW was jailed for 22 months without parole in September 2005.[3]

The bridge was closed for weeks until temporary repairs were completed. Permanent repairs began on 28 July 2006 and finished on 22 August 2006, using a unique method never before used in Germany.[4] For the duration of the repairs, where among other things a 20 m × 31 m segment was replaced, the bridge was closed. The repairs cost 7.2 million euros.

References

  1. "Tempolimit auf der A4 bei Düren" (in German). WDR. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  2. "VINCI preferred bidder for a motorway concession in Germany". VINCI. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  3. "Tatort Wiehltalbrücke: Unfallverursacher verurteilt" (in German). FAZ. 14 September 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. "Neues Brückensegment erfolgreich in Wiehltalbrücke eingehoben". www.strassen.nrw.de (in German). 13 July 2006. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
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