Two motorways, two important railway lines and a canal for cargo ships: quite a lot of traffic comes together at the Kaiserberg motorway junction. But the bridges are showing their age.
Duisburg (dpa / lnw) - The Kaiserberg motorway junction in Duisburg, which is prone to congestion, will become a major construction site in the next few years. After the ground-breaking ceremony this Wednesday (11:00 a.m.), work on the roadways, bridges and ramps will take more than eight years. The junction where the A3 and A40 meet was built in the 1960s and is showing its age. In addition, an additional lane will be built in each direction on both motorways so that there will be fewer traffic jams in the future, the motorway company said. The construction work is expected to cost around 365 million euros.
A spokesman said there would initially be no major restrictions for car and truck drivers in the coming months. It is then planned to first build alternative lanes before the old lanes are closed and rebuilt. This is to keep disruption to traffic to a minimum. In the next few years, however, restrictions for motorists will be unavoidable in a construction project of this size.
The cross was last used by 130,000 vehicles per day. By 2030, the Autobahn company expects 145,000 vehicles per day. Two important railway lines, a side canal of the Ruhr, which is important for shipping, and several smaller roads also run in the area. Because of its idiosyncratic shape, the Kaiserberg motorway junction is also popularly known as the "spaghetti knot".
