As of: March 8, 2024, 2:21 p.m
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Vehicles drive on the A71 motorway over the Schwarzbachtal valley bridge into the Alte Burg tunnel.
© Michael Reichel/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
Thuringia's motorway network covers 521 kilometers.
Parts are replaced every year - and a lot of money is invested.
In 2024 it is primarily about a tunnel on the A71 and sections on the A4 in eastern Thuringia.
Erfurt - Drivers in Thuringia will have to prepare for a number of motorway construction sites this year, especially in the east of the Free State, as well as renovation work in the Eichelberg tunnel on the A71.
A total of 83.6 million euros are to be invested in the renewal of the motorway network in the Free State, which covers a total of 521 kilometers, said the regional manager of the federally owned Autobahn GmbH, Danko Knothe, on Friday in Erfurt.
The plan is to tackle 20 larger projects alone.
“It is important to us that traffic keeps moving despite the work.” As a rule, there is a planning lead time of two years for the projects.
The start at the Eichelberg tunnel is imminent
Work on the Eichelberg tunnel on the A71 in southern Thuringia is scheduled to start this Monday - one of a total of ten motorway tunnels in Thuringia.
The two tubes, each 1.1 kilometers long, are to be renovated and technically renewed this year and next, says Steffen Meier from Autobahn GmbH.
Traffic will be routed through a tube in both directions.
This involves costs of 36.5 million euros.
It starts with the tunnel tube in the direction of Schweinfurt.
According to Knothe, work has been underway since the beginning of March on the A4 in eastern Thuringia towards Dresden to renew the road between Ronneburg and Schmölln.
A total of 48.1 million euros will be invested in the almost nine kilometer long section.
From a financial perspective, this will be the largest sub-project in 2024. There, there is an alkali-silica reaction in the road surface - commonly known as concrete cancer.
The work covered both carriageways in this section until 2025.
Work continues on the Suhl-Friedberg-Schleusingen section on the A71 towards Nuremberg, which began in 2023.
A total investment of 32 million euros is expected there.
Major Rennsteig Tunnel project in the next few years
Overall, the motorway network in Thuringia, which was doubled and completely renewed after reunification, is in good condition, said Knothe.
Despite record investments of 103 million euros last year, traffic was not unduly affected.
“According to ADAC 2023, Thuringia was one of the federal states with the fewest traffic jams.”
Germany's longest road tunnel, the almost eight-kilometer-long Rennsteig Tunnel on the A71 between Erfurt and Suhl, is not scheduled to be completed until 2027 at the earliest, and it could not be until 2030.
“This requires a complex concept,” said Knothe.
The work is expected to take three years per tunnel tube.
There are already tests on how traffic can be organized during construction work to ensure a high level of safety.
The Rennsteig Tunnel was opened around 21 years ago with “by far the longest tunnel tubes in Germany”.
dpa