Bundesautobahn 44

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 and ends near Kassel. Before the German unification it was an unimportant provincial motorway but after this event it became an integral part of the German highway 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 and Ukraine.

A44
Bundesautobahn 44
Route information
Length274.6 km (170.6 mi)
(planned: 330.3 km)
Location
StatesNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, (planned Thuringia)
Highway system
  • Roads in Germany
← A43→ A45

History of construction

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

Auxiliary runway for military aircraft

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

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

Interchange Neersen

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
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
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

Extension near Kassel

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 2018) 5.9 327
jct Hessisch Lichtenau-West – jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Mitte under construction (December 12, 2013) 2.2 85
jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Mitte – jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Ost completed (opening on October 6, 2005) 4.4 84
jct Hessisch Lichtenau-Ost - Walburg–Hasselbach under construction (November 1, 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

The interchange Jackerath-interchange Holz section and the junction Otzenrath were permanently closed to traffic on October 14, 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
E 40 || Belgium
(1) Border crossing Lichtenbusch
Services Lichtenbusch
(2) Aachen-Lichtenbusch B258
(3) Aachen-Brand
(4) Aachen 4-way interchange A4 E40 A544
(5a) Broichweiden
() Alsdorf-Begau (access in direction Aachen only)
(5b) Alsdorf (Rheinland)
(6) Aldenhoven
(7) Jülich-West
Raststätte Ruraue
Rurbrücke
(8) Jülich-Ost
(9) Titz
(10) Jackerath 3-way interchange A61
interrupted (since October 2005).
Garweiler Mine (under construction) (new Exit)

wiederaufbau nicht vor 2017

(12) Holz 3-way interchange A46
Jüchen-Hochneukirch (planned)
(13) Mönchengladbach-Odenkirchen

interrupted (not required)

(21) Mönchengladbach-Ost
(22) Neersen 4-way interchange A52
(incl.) Neersen (touches B7)
(23) Münchheide
(24) Krefeld-Forstwald
(25) Krefeld-Fichtenhain
(26) Osterath
(27) Meerbusch 4-way interchange A57
(28) Lank-Latum
Tunnel Strümp 640 m
Tunnel Ilvericher Altrheinschlinge 870 m
Flughafenbrücke 1.287 m
(29) Düsseldorf-Messe/Stadion
(30) Düsseldorf-Stockum B8
Tunnel Flughafentunnel 1070 m
(31) Düsseldorf-Flughafen
Bahnbrücke 60 m
Kreuz Düsseldorf-Nord (planned) A59
(32) Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange A52
Tunnel Schwarzbach 154 m / 150 m
(32) Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange A52
3-way interchange Rath (planned) A59
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 A3 E35
Talbrücke Kaltenbach 129 m
Talbrücke Homberger Bachtal 216 m
Angerbachbrücke 319 m
Heiligenhaus (under construction)
Talbrücke Laubecker Bachtal 206 m
Talbrücke Ganslandsiepen 194 m
(36) Heiligenhaus-Hetterscheid
Tunnel Birth 807 m / 814 m
(37) Velbert-Nord B224
(37a) Velbert-Nord 3-way interchange A535
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) A52
(-) Bochum-Nordhausen-Ring
(-) Bochum-Markstraße
(-) Bochum-Laer
Oelbachbrücke 100 m
(42) Bochum/Witten 4-way interchange A43
(43) Witten-Zentrum
(44) Witten-Stockum
(45) Witten-Annen
(46) Dortmund/Witten 4-way interchange A45 E41

interrupted (further need)

Tankstelle -
(52) Dortmund/Unna 4-way interchange A1 E37 E331
Talbrücke Bornekamp
(53) Unna-Ost 4-way interchange A443
Talbrücke Kessebürenbach
Talbrücke Lüner Bach
Services Am Haarstrang
(54) Werl 4-way interchange A445
(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 A33
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 A49
Fuldatalbrücke 700 m
(70) Dreieck Kassel-Süd A7 E45
Rest area Kassel (under construction)
3-way interchange Kassel-Mitte A49
Talbrücke Losse 200 m
3-way interchange Dreieck Kassel-Ost (planned) A7
Kaufungen (planned)
Helsa-West (planned)
Helsa-Ost (planned)
Tunnel Hirschhagen 4100 m (planned)
Steinbachtalbrücke 134 m
Hessisch Lichtenau-West (under construction)
Tunnel Schulberg 700 m
(77) Hessisch Lichtenau-Mitte B7
Tunnel Hopfenberg 650 m
Hopfenbachtalbrücke 280 m
Tunnel Walburgtunnel 273 m/284 m
Wehretalbrücke 530 m
(78) Hessisch Lichtenau/Walburg B7
Tunnel Küchentunnel 1314 m
Beerbergbrücke 176 m
Rauschenbrücke 233 m
Waldkappel (under construction)
Tunnel TrimbergTunnel 597 m (planned)
Eschwege (planned)
Wehretalbrücke 695 m (planned)
Tunnel Spitzenbergtunnel 626 m (planned)
Netratalbrücke 264 m (planned)
Sontra-Wichmannhausen (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) A4

(planned / urgent need)

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