Bundesautobahn 44

Summary

Bundesautobahn 44 (translates from German as Federal Motorway 44, short form Autobahn 44, abbreviated as BAB 44 or A 44) is a German Autobahn. It consists of three main parts and a few smaller parts. It begins in Aachen at the German–Belgian border (Belgian motorway A3) and ends near Kassel (Bundesautobahn 7). Before the German unification it was an regional motorway. In the 1990s, it became an integral part of the German motorway system. The A 44 is a highly frequented link between the Rhine-Ruhr-Area and the new German states, especially Thuringia, and by proxy, eastern European states like Poland.

A 44 shield}}
A 44
Bundesautobahn 44
Map
Route information
Length274.6 km (170.6 mi)
(planned: 330.3 km)
Location
CountryGermany
StatesNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, (planned Thuringia)
Highway system
  • Roads in Germany
A 43 A 45

History of construction edit

The first section of this motorway which was opened was the connection between Aachen and the interchange Aachen in 1963.

Auxiliary runway for military aircraft edit

The section Geseke-Büren was constructed as an auxiliary runway. This section is even and straight, without any constructions like bridges and the crash-barriers can be taken out. It was constructed to be a runway for US-military aircraft in a war with NATO's opponent, the Warsaw Pact. At both ends of the section there are parking lots for parking and maintenance of the aircraft.

International E-road network edit

The Lichtenbusch-interchange Aachen section is part of the European route E 40. Between interchange Dortmund-Unna and interchange Kassel-Süd (Kassel south) the A 44 is part of the European route E 331.

Constructions edit

Interchange Neersen edit

Interchange Neersen is a typical cloverleaf interchange.

After the opening of the Flughafenbrücke near Düsseldorf Airport the connections to and from the A 52 were extended. Since the opening two ramps have been closed. If you enter the network at Mönchengladbach-Ost you cannot change directly to the Roermond-bound direction of A 52 and if you approach from Krefeld, you cannot change directly to the Düsseldorf-bound direction. To reactivate these connections two new bridges are necessary. Construction has been in progress since January 2006. When construction is complete the interchange will have the following connections:

Connections from A 44 to A 52 edit

 
Flughafenbrücke ("airport bridge") across the Rhine between Krefeld and Düsseldorf Airport
direction kind of connection
Mönchengladbach–Düsseldorf tangential ramp
Krefeld–Roermond tangential ramp
Mönchengladbach–Roermond using the ramp Mönchengladbach–Düsseldorf and via the northwestern loop
Krefeld–Düsseldorf loop (270°)

Connections from A 52 to A 44 edit

direction kind of connection
Düsseldorf–Mönchengladbach loop (270°)
Roermond–Krefeld a bridge which will be above A 44 will be constructed
Roermond–Mönchengladbach loop (270°)
Düsseldorf–Krefeld tangential ramp

Plans edit

Extension near Kassel edit

Near Kassel, the Autobahn will be extended to Thuringia. The following sections are planned:

section status length (km) costs (Million )
interchange Kassel-Ost – jct Helsa-Ost project investigations 17.5 287
jct Helsa-Ost - jct Hessisch Lichtenau-West under construction (expected opening 2022) 5.9 327
jct Hessisch Lichtenau-West – jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Mitte under construction (12 December 2013) 2.2 85
jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Mitte – jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Ost completed (opening on 6 October 2005) 4.4 84
jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Ost - Walburg–Hasselbach [de] under construction (1 November 2014) 4.3 83
Walburg-Hasselbach – jct Waldkappel-Ost under construction (expected opening 2016) 6.1 56
jct Waldkappel-Ost - Wehretal/Hoheneiche planning permission hearings successful finished 7.2 183
Wehretal/Hoheneiche - jct Sontra-Nord planning permission hearings successful finished 5.4 159
jct Sontra-Nord - jct Sontra-Ulfen planning permission hearings successful finished 11.0 240
jct Sontra-Ulfen – interchange Wommen (A 4) planning permission hearings successful finished 5.8 75

Demolition of a section edit

The interchange Jackerath-interchange Holz section and the junction Otzenrath were permanently closed to traffic on 14 October 2005. The reason for the closure was the open mine at Garzweiler II. Before this section was closed, the Bundesautobahn 61 was widened from two to three lanes in each direction. For the closed junction the junction Mönchengladbach-Wanlo was constructed.

When the open cast mine was exhausted, expected in 2017, a new section of the A 44 was built across the A 61. This new route is built to the south of the old route, and the new junction Jackerath is now located south of the old one.

This section was taken out of the official network-register in November 2005 and is no longer officially a Bundesautobahn.

Exit list edit

  A3   E40 Belgium
  (1) Border crossing Lichtenbusch
    Services Lichtenbusch
  (2) Aachen-Lichtenbusch   B 258
  (3) Aachen-Brand   B 258
  (4) Aachen 4-way interchange   A 4  E40  A 544
  (5a) Broichweiden
  () Alsdorf-Begau (access in direction Aachen only)
  (5b) Alsdorf (Rheinland)
  (6) Aldenhoven   B 56
  (7) Jülich-West   B 56
  Raststätte Ruraue
  Rurbrücke
  (8) Jülich-Ost   B 55
  (9) Titz
  (10) Jackerath 3-way interchange   A 61
  (11) Holz 3-way interchange   A 46
  (12) Mönchengladbach-Odenkirchen

interrupted (not required)


  (21) Mönchengladbach-Ost
  (22) Neersen 4-way interchange   A 52
  (incl.) Neersen (touches   B 7)
  (23) Münchheide
  (24) Krefeld-Forstwald
  (25) Krefeld-Fichtenhain
  (26) Osterath
  (27) Meerbusch 4-way interchange   A 57
  (28) Lank-Latum
  Tunnel Strümp 640 m
  Tunnel Ilvericher Altrheinschlinge 870 m
  Flughafenbrücke 1.287 m
  (29) Düsseldorf-Messe/Stadion
  (30) Düsseldorf-Stockum   B 8
  Tunnel Flughafentunnel 1070 m
  (31) Düsseldorf-Flughafen
  Bahnbrücke 60 m
  Kreuz Düsseldorf-Nord (planned)   A 59
  (32) Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange   A 52
  Tunnel Schwarzbach 154 m / 150 m
  (32) Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange   A 52
  3-way interchange Rath (planned)   A 59
  Tunnel Reichswaldallee 695 m / 725 m (planned)
  (incl.) Reichswaldallee
  Tunnel Volkardey 695 m / 725 m
  (33) Ratingen-Schwarzbach
  (34) Kreuz Ratingen-Ost 4-way interchange   A 3  E35

    Talbrücke Kaltenbach 129 m
    Talbrücke Homberger Bachtal 216 m
    Angerbachbrücke 319 m
  (35) Heiligenhaus
  Talbrücke Laubecker Bachtal 206 m
  Talbrücke Ganslandsiepen 194 m
  (36) Heiligenhaus-Hetterscheid
  Tunnel Birth 807 m / 814 m
  (37) Velbert-Nord   B 224
  (37a) Velbert-Nord 3-way interchange   A 535
  Talbrücke Hespersbach
  (38) Velbert-Langenberg
  Asbachtalbrücke 323 m
  (39) Essen-Kupferdreh
  Hochstraßebrücke 540 m
  (40) Essen-Überruhr
  Ruhr
  (41) Essen-Heisingen

  Essen-Bergerhausen (planned)
  Tunnel Ruhralleetunnel 2500 m (planned)
  Kreuz Essen-Bergerhausen (planned)   A 52


interrupted (further need)


  Tankstelle -
  (52) Dortmund/Unna 4-way interchange   A 1  E37  E331
  Talbrücke Bornekamp
  (53) Unna-Ost 4-way interchange   A 443
  Talbrücke Kessebürenbach
  Talbrücke Lüner Bach
    Services Am Haarstrang
  (54) Werl 4-way interchange   A 445
  (55) Werl-Süd im Bau
  Talbrücke Ostönner Bach
  (56) Soest
    Services Soester Börde
  (57) Soest-Ost
  (58) Erwitte/Anröchte
  Talbrücke Pöppelsche
  Talbrücke Schledde
  Talbrücke Westerschledde
  (59) Geseke
  (60) Büren
  Almebrücke
  Talbrücke Friedenstal
  (61) Wünnenberg-Haaren 4-way interchange   A 33
  Talbrücke Ottensgrund 500 m
  (62) Marsberg-Meerhof
  Talbrücke Langer Grund 200 m
  Talbrücke Apfelbaumgrund 350 m
  Talbrücke Krügersgrund 375 m
  Talbrücke Klingenbach 480 m
  Talbrücke Heubach 200 m
  Diemeltalbrücke 100 m
    Services Am Biggenkopf
  (64) Diemelstadt
  (65) Warburg
  Twistetalbrücke 650 m
  Talbrücke Breuna 650 m
  (66) Breuna
    Services Bühleck
  (67) Zierenberg
  (68) Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe
  (69) Kreuz Kassel-West   A 49
  Fuldatalbrücke 700 m
  (70) Dreieck Kassel-Süd   A 7  E45

      Rest area Kassel (under construction)
    3-way interchange Kassel-Mitte   A 49
    Talbrücke Losse 200 m

  3-way interchange Dreieck Kassel-Ost (planned)   A 7
  Kaufungen (planned)
  Helsa-West (planned)
  (75) Helsa-Ost
  Tunnel Hirschhagen 4100 m
  Steinbachtalbrücke 134 m
  (76) Hessisch Lichtenau-West   B 7
  Tunnel Schulberg 700 m
  (77) Hessisch Lichtenau-Mitte   B 487
  Tunnel Hopfenberg 650 m }
  Hopfenbachtalbrücke 280 m
  Tunnel Walburgtunnel 273 m/284 m
  Wehretalbrücke 530 m
  (78) Hessisch Lichtenau/Walburg
  Tunnel Küchentunnel 1314 m
  Beerbergbrücke 176 m
  Rauschenbrücke 233 m
  (79) Waldkappel   B 7

    Tunnel TrimbergTunnel 597 m
    Eschwege (under construction)
    Wehretalbrücke 695 m
    Tunnel Spitzenbergtunnel 626 m
  Netratalbrücke 264 m (planned)
  Ringgau (planned)
  Ulfetalbrücke 205 m (planned)
  Tunnel Boyneburgtunnel 1698 m (planned)
  Sontra-Nord (planned)
  Tunnel Holsteintunnel 1647 m (planned)
  Sontra-Ost (planned)
  WC (planned)
  Tunnel Bubenradtunnel 686 m (planned)
  Talbrücke Lindenau 550 m (planned)
  Talbrücke Rübenberg 100 m (planned)
  Talbrücke Kulmrich 100 m (planned)
  Tunnel Dachslochtunnel 300 m (planned)
  Talbrücke Riedmühle 300 m (planned)
  Talbrücke Blankenbach 200 m (planned)
  Sontra-Ulfen (planned)
  Tunnel Armsbergtunnel 290 m (planned)
  Talbrücke Breitzbach 172 m (planned)
  3-way interchange Wommener Dreieck (planned)   A 4

(planned / urgent need)

External links edit

  • Bundesautobahn 44 – detailed route plan (in German)

51°14′49″N 9°36′45″E / 51.24694°N 9.61250°E / 51.24694; 9.61250