A42 in NRW: Ten days of complete closure for the new bridge in the Ruhr area!

A42 in NRW: Ten days of complete closure for the new bridge in the Ruhr area!

Drivers in North Rhine-Westphalia are facing a massive motorway closure! From June 6th to 16th, 2025, the A42 between Essen-Nord and Bottrop-Süd will be completely closed due to the construction of a new pipe bridge. Loud Ruhr24 This affects an important connection in the Ruhr area, which is used by around 85,000 vehicles every day. The background to the closure is the transport of oil through the new bridge, which is required for the expanded six-lane highway. This is a new measure as the A42 was already closed for several days in August 2024.

A42 bridge closure and alternative routes

Another bridge on the A42, which runs over the Rhine-Herne Canal, was already closed until December 2023 due to inspection and the exhaustion of its capacity. However, this bridge was able to be reopened in time ADAC reported. While the connection is open again for cars, the bridge remains closed to heavier vehicles over 3.5 tons. In order to redirect current traffic flows, large-scale diversions will be set up via the A2, A3, A40 and A45.

This construction work is part of a larger plan by Autobahn GmbH to reduce the traffic load on this section and to better equip the highway for future bottlenecks. However, experts warn that many bridges in North Rhine-Westphalia are in a critical condition and require urgent renovation. Prof. Dr. Roman Suthold from ADAC points out that many bridges were not designed for today's traffic conditions, which increases the need for further measures.