Autobahn Closure: Search for Unexploded Ordnance Shuts A40 for Ten Days

A crucial section of the A40 highway in Mülheim, Germany, will be fully closed for ten days starting Friday evening to allow for an extensive search for unexploded World War II ordnance. The closure, affecting both directions between the Mülheim-Heißen and Mülheim-Winkhausen junctions, is scheduled to last until June 22.

This extensive measure is a prerequisite for planned construction work. Experts must first demolish and then reconstruct a roughly 20-meter section of the road surface to enable bomb disposal specialists to search for and neutralize any potential threats buried underground. The Autobahn GmbH stated that this ten-day closure is unavoidable.

Motorists are advised to prepare for significant detours and potential traffic congestion. The A40 is a vital artery in the Ruhr region, with 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles using this section daily. The highway is slated for a six-lane expansion in the coming years due to increasing traffic.

Compounding the disruption, the nearby Kreuz Kaiserberg interchange in Duisburg is also a major construction site. This forces long-distance traffic between Duisburg and Essen to take a lengthy detour, nearly reaching Düsseldorf Airport, effectively doubling the travel distance on the A40.