Roman Alblimes road segment uncovered near Stuttgart during A8 highway construction

During preparatory archaeological work for the new Albaufstieg section of the A8 motorway near Drackenstein in Baden‑Württemberg, researchers uncovered a roughly 90‑metre stretch of the Roman Alblimes road. The road dates to the 1st century AD, likely built under Emperor Vespasian, and is among the oldest known long‑distance routes in the region.

The Alblimes road linked the Roman forts of Arae Flaviae (modern Rottweil) and Aquileia (modern Heidenheim an der Brenz), forming a key part of the defensive and administrative network of the province Germania Superior. Excavations were carried out by the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege together with specialist firms fodilus GmbH and ArchaeoBW, under the coordination of Dr. René Wollenweber. The discovery provides detailed evidence of Roman engineering and the strategic use of the Schwäbische Alb corridor.