A71 - "The Impossible Autobahn"

[roadtester]

I just came across this interesting TV documentary (sorry, in German) about the A71 Autobahn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdOpz8cmNGE

It was one of the big post-unification infrastructure projects and is one of the most expensive motorways ever built in Germany, mainly because of the difficulty of negotiating the forests and valleys of Thuringia. There are lots of big and impressive bridges and tunnels - including one tunnel that is 8km long, which may be relevant to how practical an option long tunnels might be in future trans-Pennine upgrades in the UK. Also, one of the bridges is high enough to have attracted base-jumpers, although the authorities have put a stop to that now.

The documentary starts with a ritual that sees periodic short closures for one of the big bridges as blasting is carried out in the quarry directly below. The film also looks at whether the road really benefited towns like Suhl in economic terms, and asks how much difference the environmental measures put in place make. It also listens to the grumbles of a hotel/restaurant operator on the old road, who finds he has just as many lorries rumbling past his premises as previously because drivers still like a short cut and want to avoid the German motorway charges for trucks. Meanwhile, parts of the new road are under-trafficked.

It also touches on an alternative plan put forward by environmental groups which would have seen the route corridor improved via a less Rolls Royce solution involving a mix of on-line and off-line upgrades - something closer to the way it would have been done in the UK, I suppose.

[Bryn666]

Politically important to be a proper road and not a fudge given the context; which is why the "easier" option will have been discarded.

The development of the autobahns isn't something I am massively aware of so interesting to see how things have developed.

[JosephA22]

It also listens to the grumbles of a hotel/restaurant operator on the old road, who finds he has just as many lorries rumbling past his premises as previously because drivers still like a short cut and want to avoid the German motorway charges for trucks. Meanwhile, parts of the new road are under-trafficked.

Germany has extended truck tolls from 1 July this year, adding about 40,000km of federal roads to the previous 15,000km that was mainly motorways with just a few sections of the most "motorway-like" federal roads. I don't know if this particular road is covered by the extension, but if so it could solve the problem for this gentleman and other residents (although it presumably won't solve his main problem of lack of customers).

[roadtester]

It also listens to the grumbles of a hotel/restaurant operator on the old road, who finds he has just as many lorries rumbling past his premises as previously because drivers still like a short cut and want to avoid the German motorway charges for trucks. Meanwhile, parts of the new road are under-trafficked.

Germany has extended truck tolls from 1 July this year, adding about 40,000km of federal roads to the previous 15,000km that was mainly motorways with just a few sections of the most "motorway-like" federal roads. I don't know if this particular road is covered by the extension, but if so it could solve the problem for this gentleman and other residents (although it presumably won't solve his main problem of lack of customers).

Interesting - he was saying that sometimes people turned up for their stay but asked to leave after a day or two because of the racket.

Extending the tolls to the most obvious short cuts and rat runs would seem like a good fix, quite apart from the merits of making the scheme much more comprehensive in scope.

[Norfolktolancashire]

I just came across this interesting TV documentary (sorry, in German) about the A71 Autobahn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdOpz8cmNGE

It was one of the big post-unification infrastructure projects and is one of the most expensive motorways ever built in Germany, mainly because of the difficulty of negotiating the forests and valleys of Thuringia. There are lots of big and impressive bridges and tunnels - including one tunnel that is 8km long, which may be relevant to how practical an option long tunnels might be in future trans-Pennine upgrades in the UK. Also, one of the bridges is high enough to have attracted base-jumpers, although the authorities have put a stop to that now.

The documentary starts with a ritual that sees periodic short closures for one of the big bridges as blasting is carried out in the quarry directly below. The film also looks at whether the road really benefited towns like Suhl in economic terms, and asks how much difference the environmental measures put in place make. It also listens to the grumbles of a hotel/restaurant operator on the old road, who finds he has just as many lorries rumbling past his premises as previously because drivers still like a short cut and want to avoid the German motorway charges for trucks. Meanwhile, parts of the new road are under-trafficked.

It also touches on an alternative plan put forward by environmental groups which would have seen the route corridor improved via a less Rolls Royce solution involving a mix of on-line and off-line upgrades - something closer to the way it would have been done in the UK, I suppose.

You can change the subtitles to English by clicking on the settings at the bottom right of the screen and go on auto translate.

[roadtester]

You can change the subtitles to English by clicking on the settings at the bottom right of the screen and go on auto translate.

Ah - good tip. I didn't realise that. I just watched it in German because I understand it anyway.