Ruhrgebiet motorways A40 and A2 face major closures

Major motorway closures are set to impact traffic in Germany's Ruhr region. The A40 motorway near Bochum will undergo a two-week closure starting Friday at 21:00 for repairs on an aging bridge. This section, spanning from the Bochum-West interchange to Bochum-Zentrum in the direction of Dortmund, is expected to remain closed until September 25 at 05:00.

Simultaneously, the A2 motorway will experience a closure between the Oberhausen interchange and the Bottrop interchange in the direction of Dortmund to allow for the application of noise-reducing asphalt. These specific A2 works are scheduled to conclude by Monday, September 7, at 05:00.

Drivers are advised to use alternative routes. For the A40 closure, traffic may be diverted via the A3 toward Emmerich, then via the B58 from Wesel to the A31, returning to the A2 at the Bottrop interchange. The A42 is available as an alternative route but is restricted to vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons due to damage on the Rhein-Herne-Kanal bridge. Commuters traveling via Bochum toward Dortmund are encouraged to use the A448 and A43 to the Bochum interchange.