The forgotten route 46: Discover Germany's largest motorway ruin!

The "Route 46" is an important motorway project from the time of National Socialism in Germany that has never been completed. The planning for this highway began in 1933, with the aim of combining Fulda and Würzburg. The construction phase between Bad Brückenau and Würzburg started in 1937, but was discontinued in 1940 due to the Second World War. During this time, material and workers were urgently needed for the war economy, which led to the hiring of the work.

Today, the “route 46” is considered Germany's longest historical motorway ruins and is a unique technology monument from the early days of the motorway construction. Many remains are still visible, including 47 buildings and recognizable route areas. Parts of the original route are integrated into the A7, while other sections have never been completed. The region around the “route 46” is now surrounded by a lot of green and invites you to be explored on foot or by bike. A virtual video shows a 32 km long section of the route that is available on Google Maps.

historical importance and monument protection

The "Route 46" and its course are of historical importance, since it represented a planned north-south connection of almost 70 km in length between Bad Hersfeld, Kirchheimer Dreieck, Fulda and Würzburg-Kist. After the war, the original route was abandoned, but the buildings and earth dams survived are now under protection as a monument that is unique in Germany. The motorway ruins are also considered the longest Bavarian monument. For interested parties, a flyer was created in cooperation with the Autobahn History Working Group (AGAG) e.V. and the municipality of Gräfendorf, which offers a summary of the historical importance of "route 46".

The course and the characteristics of this highway can also be explored by a virtual flight over route 46, possible by Google Earth.