According to estimates by the Ministry of Transport in Hanover, the closure of the Autobahn 27 due to an imminent subsidence of the roadway north of Bremen is likely to restrict traffic for weeks to come. The repair of the affected area will probably take at least four weeks, said a ministry spokesman in Hanover on Friday. A solution is being worked on with the federal highway company to ensure that large and heavy goods vehicles in particular, which would otherwise use the highway, do not get stuck on alternative routes. "We don't have a concrete solution yet," said the spokesperson.
The A27, which connects Bremen, Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven, has been closed in both directions since Wednesday due to the possible undermining. According to the highway company, the highway maintenance department had recently discovered subsidence on an embankment. There is a steel arch at the site, which carries a trench under the highway. An inspection revealed that the steel of the structure is so badly eroded in some places that there is a risk of subsidence. Autobahn GmbH is now examining a possible emergency repair and then a new construction.
