Bundesautobahn 44

A44
Bundesautobahn 44
200px
Route information
Length:	266 km (165 mi)
Location
States:	North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, (planned Thuringia)
Highway system
Roads in Germany Motorways (Autobahnen) Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) E-roads

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.

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 Moenchengladbach-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

File:Flughafenbrücke Düsseldorf.jpg

Flughafenbrücke ("airport bridge") across the Rhine between Krefeld and Düsseldorf International Airport

direction	kind of connection
Moenchengladbach–Düsseldorf	tangential ramp
Krefeld–Roermond	tangential ramp
Moenchengladbach–Roermond	using the ramp Moenchengladbach–Düsseldorf and via the northwestern loop
Krefeld–Düsseldorf	loop (270°)

Connections from A 52 to A 44

direction	kind of connection
Düsseldorf–Moenchengladbach	loop (270°)
Roermond–Krefeld	a bridge which will be above A 44 will be constructed
Roermond–Moenchengladbach	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 Moenchengladbach-Wanlo was constructed.

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

		Belgium
	(1)	Border crossing Lichtenbusch
		Services Lichtenbusch
	(2)	Aachen-Lichtenbusch
	(3)	Aachen-Brand
	(4)	Aachen 4-way interchange ,
	(5a)	Broichweiden
	(5b)	Alsdorf
	(6)	Aldenhoven
	(7)	Jülich-West
		Raststätte Ruraue
		Rurbrücke
	(8)	Jülich-Ost
	(9)	Titz
	(10)	Jackerath 3-way interchange A 61
unterbrochen (im Oktober 2005 abgerissen).
		Garweiler Mine (under construction) (new Exit) wiederaufbau nicht vor 2017
	(12)	Holz 3-way interchange
		Jüchen-Hochneukirch (planned)
	(13)	Mönchengladbach-Odenkirchen
interrupted (not required)
	(21)	Mönchengladbach-Ost
	(22)	Neersen 4-way interchange
	(incl.)	Neersen (touches )
	(23)	Münchheide
	(24)	Krefeld-Forstwald
	(25)	Krefeld-Fichtenhain
	(26)	Osterath
	(27)	Meerbusch 4-way interchange
	(28)	Lank-Latum
		Tunnel Strümp 640 m
		Tunnel Ilvericher Altrheinschlinge 870 m
		Flughafenbrücke 1.287 m
	(29)	Düsseldorf-Messe/Stadion
	(30)	Düsseldorf-Stockum
		Tunnel Flughafentunnel 1070 m
	(31)	Düsseldorf-Flughafen
		Bahnbrücke 60 m
		Kreuz Düsseldorf-Nord (planned)
	(32)	Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange
		Tunnel Schwarzbach 154 m / 150 m
	(32)	Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange
		3-way interchange Rath (planned)
		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
		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
	(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)
	(-)	Bochum-Nordhausen-Ring
	(-)	Bochum-Markstraße
	(-)	Bochum-Laer
		Oelbachbrücke 100 m
	(42)	Bochum/Witten 4-way interchange
	(43)	Witten-Zentrum
	(44)	Witten-Stockum
	(45)	Witten-Annen
	(46)	Dortmund/Witten 4-way interchange
interrupted (further need)
		Tankstelle -
	(52)	Dortmund/Unna 4-way interchange
		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
		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
		Fuldatalbrücke 700 m
	(70)	Dreieck Kassel-Süd
		Rest area Kassel (under construction)
		3-way interchange Kassel-Mitte
		Talbrücke Losse 200 m
		3-way interchange Dreieck Kassel-Ost (planned)
		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
		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
		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) (planned / urgent need)

External links

• Bundesautobahn 44 – Detailed route plan (German)