Bundesautobahn 4

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A 4

Bundesautobahn 4

Route information

Length

616 km (383 mi)

Existed

1934–present

Major junctions

v t e Route
A 76 E314		Netherlands

	(1)	Vetschau border crossing
	(-)	Bocholtz The offramp of the Dutch exit Bocholtz is on German territory
	(2)	Aachen-Laurensberg
	(3)	Aachen-Zentrum B 57
		Toresberg parking area
	(4)	Aachen 4-way interchange A 44 / E40, A 544
		Services Aachener Land
	(5a)	Eschweiler-West B 264
	(5b)	Eschweiler-Ost B 264
		Alte Kippe parking area
	(5c)	Weisweiler
		Inde bridge
	(5d)	Langerwehe
		Rest area Rur-Scholle
		Rur bridge 100 m
	(6)	Düren B 56
	(7a)	Merzenich
		Wildlife crossing 35 m
	(7b)	Elsdorf B 477
	(8)	Kerpen
	(8)	Kerpen 4-way interchange A 61
		Erftbrücke 50 m
		Frechen-Königsdorf (under construction)
		Services Frechen
	(9b)	Frechen-Nord
	(10)	Köln-West 4-way interchange A 1 / E31
		Kölner Ring
	(11)	Köln-Klettenberg B 265
	(—)	Containerbahnhof Köln-Eifeltor
	(12)	Köln-Süd 4-way interchange A 555
		Rheinbrücke Rodenkirchen 567 m
	(13)	Köln-Poll
	(14)	Gremberg 4-way interchange A 559
	(15)	Heumarer Dreieck A 3 / E35 A 59
	(16)	Kreuz Köln-Ost A 3 / E35
		Kölner Ring B 55a
	(17)	Köln-Merheim
	(18)	Refrath
		Rest area Lustheide
	(19)	Bensberg
	(20)	Moitzfeld B 55
		Röttgesberg parking area
	(21)	Overath- Untereschbach
		Talbrücke Holzbach 440 m
	(22)	Overath B 55 B 484
		Aggerbrücke 110 m
		Services Aggertal
		Talbrücke Schlingenbach 230 m
		Erlenhof parking area
		Talbrücke 170 m
		Talbrücke Loopebach 370 m
		Talbrücke 400 m
	(23)	Engelskirchen
		Talbrücke 470 m
		Bellingroth parking area
	(24)	Wiehl/Bielstein
		Talbrücke Molbach 210 m
		Wiehltalbrücke 705 m
		Hömeler Feld parking area
		Brücke 280 m
	(25)	Gummersbach
		Rest area Morkepütz
		Talbrücke Alpebach 310 m
	(26)	Reichshof/Bergneustadt B 256
		Rest area Hasbacher Höhe
	(27)	Reichshof-Eckenhagen
	(28)	Olpe-Süd A 45 / E41 E40
		Biggebrücke 230 m
	(28)	Wenden
		Talbrücke Dahl 126 m
		Talbrücke Altenberg 239 m
		Talbrücke Elben 430 m
	(29)	Krombach B 54
		Biedenkopf (planned)
		Wetter (Hessen)-West (planned)
		Wetter (Hessen)-Süd (planned)
		Sarnau (planned)
		Cölbe (planned)
		Schönstadt (planned)
		Kirchhain (planned)
		Stadtallendorf (planned)
		3-way interchange Stadtallendorf (planned) A 49
		Neustadt (Hessen) (planned)
		Neustadt (Hessen) (planned) A 49
		Schwalmstadt (planned)
		Neukirchen (planned)
		Oberaula (planned)
	(31)	Kirchheim 3-way interchange A 7 / E45
		E40
		Services Kirchheim will be closed
		Asbachgrund/Engersburg parking area
		Asbachtalbrücke 280 m
		Rest area Auerhahnkuppe
		Fuldabrücke 110 m
	(32)	Bad Hersfeld B 27 B 62
		Talbrücke Siebenborn 260 m
		Talbrücke Großer Kessel 220 m
	(33)	Friedewald
		Rest area
		Talbrücke Eichhorst 240 m
	(34)	Wildeck-Hönebach
	(35)	Wildeck-Obersuhl
	(36)	Gerstungen western part
		Weihetalbrücke Richelsdorf 584 m
	(36)	Gerstungen eastern part
		Talbrücke 70 m
		Talbrücke Fuchsloch 80 m
		Wommen (planned) A 44
		Talbrücke Wommen 304 m
	(37)	Wommen B 400 ()
		Brücke Frauenborner Bach 120 m
	(38)	Herleshausen B 7a
		Werratalbrücke 732 m
		Services Eisenach
		Raststätte Ramsberg will be closed ( )
	(39)	Eisenach-West B 7 B 19
	(40)	Eisenach-Ost B 84
		parking area
		Talbrücke Hörseltal 422 m
	(40b)	Sättelstädt
	(41a)	Waltershausen
		Services Hörselgau
	(41b)	Gotha-Boxberg
	(42)	Gotha B 247
		Apfelstädttalbrücke 150 m
		Rest area
	(43)	Wandersleben
	(44)	Neudietendorf/Arnstadt-West
	(45)	Erfurt 4-way interchange A 71
		Gerabrücke 110 m
	(46)	Erfurt-West B 4
		Rest area Willroder Forst
	(47a)	Erfurt-Ost
	(47b)	Erfurt-Vieselbach
		Services Eichelborn
	(48)	Nohra
	(49)	Weimar B 85
		Rest area
	(50)	Apolda B 87
		Ilmtalbrücke 385 m
	(51)	Magdala
		Raststätte Schorba
	(52)	Schorba
		parking area
		Tunnel Jagdbergtunnel 3034 m
	(53)	Jena-Göschwitz B 88
		Saaletalbrücke 838 m
		Tunnel Einhausung Lobeda 600 m
	(54)	Jena-Zentrum
		Podelsatzbrücke224 m
		Talbrücke Zeitzgrund 295 m
	(55)	Stadtroda
		Services Teufelstal
		Teufelstalbrücke 270 m
	(56a)	Hermsdorfer Kreuz A 9 / E51
	(56b)	Hermsdorf-Ost
	(57)	Rüdersdorf
		Thieschitzer Talbrücke 270 m
		Talbrücke Weiße Elster 160 m
	(58a)	Gera-Langenberg B 2 B 7
	(58b)	Gera
	(59)	Gera-Leumnitz
	(60)	Ronneburg B 7
		Sprottetalbrücke 200 m
	(61)	Schmölln
		Pleißenbrücke 550 m
		Crimmitschau (planned)
	(62)	Meerane B 93
	(63)	Glauchau-West
		Rest area Am Angerberg
	(64)	Glauchau-Ost B 175
		Talbrücke Zwickauer Mulde 550 m
	(65)	Hohenstein-Ernstthal B 180
		(planned)
	(66)	Wüstenbrand
		Raststätte Rabensteiner Wald
		parking area
	(67)	Limbach-Oberfrohna
	(68)	Kreuz Chemnitz 4-way interchange A 72 / E441
	(69)	Chemnitz-Mitte B 95
		Tunnel Eisenbahnunterfahrung 35 m
	(70)	Chemnitz-Glösa B 107
		Services Auerswalder Blick
	(71)	Chemnitz-Ost
		Zschopaubrücke 90 m
	(72)	Frankenberg B 169
		(planned)
	(73)	Hainichen
		Talbrücke Kleine Striegis 357 m
	(74)	Berbersdorf
	(75)	Siebenlehn B 101
		Talbrücke Freiberger Mulde 413 m
		Rest area
		Talbrücke Tännichtbach 190 m
	(76)	Nossen 3-way interchange A 14
		Triebischtalbrücke 427 m
		Triebischseitentalbrücke 349 m
		Saubachtalbrücke 253 m
	(77a)	Wilsdruff
		Services Dresdner Tor
	(77b)	Dresden-West 3-way interchange A 17 E55
	(78)	Dresden-Altstadt B 6
		Elbebrücke 496 m
	(79)	Dresden-Neustadt
		Unionbrücke 280 m
	(80)	Dresden-Wilder Mann
	(81a)	Dresden-Hellerau E55 B 170
	(81b)	Dresden-Flughafen
	(82)	Dresden-Nord 3-way interchange A 13 E55
		Weixdorf (planned)
	(83)	Hermsdorf B 97
		Rest area Grünberg
	(84)	Ottendorf-Okrilla
	(85)	Pulsnitz
	(86)	Ohorn
		Rest area Ohorn
		Grünbrücke 50 m
	(87)	Burkau
	(88a)	Uhyst am Taucher
		Services Oberlausitz
	(88b)	Salzenforst
	(89)	Bautzen-West B 96
		Spreetalbrücke 160 m
	(90)	Bautzen-Ost B 156
		Rest area Purschwitz
	(91)	Weißenberg
		Rest area Buchholz
	(92)	Nieder-Seifersdorf
		Tunnel Königshainer Berge 3300 m
		Rest area Kodersdorf
		Talbrücke Weißer Schöps 303 m
	(93)	Kodersdorf B 115
	(94)	Görlitz B 6
	(95)	Görlitz border crossing
		Neißebrücke 340 m

A 4 E40		Zgorzelec (Poland)

Location

Country

Germany

States

North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Saxony, Thuringia

Highway system

Roads in Germany

←

A 3

→

A 5

Bundesautobahn 4 (translates from German as Federal Motorway 4, short form Autobahn 4, abbreviated as BAB 4 or A 4) is an autobahn in two discontinuous segments that crosses Germany in a west–east direction. The western segment has a length of 156 km (97 mi), while the part in the east is 429 km (267 mi) long.

Route

The A 4 west of Cologne

The western A 4 starts north-west of

Kölner Autobahnring). The rest of the section between Kreuz Aachen and Kreuz Köln-West has a variable speed limit. Between Merzenich and Elsdorf, the speed limit is 130 km/h.^[1]

Between Kreuz Köln-West and Kreuz Heumar the speed limit is 120 km/h. From Kreuz Köln-Ost to Refrath the maximum speed is 100 km/h. The westbound section between Köln-Merheim and Kreuz Köln-Ost is restricted to 80 km/h. The section between Refrath and the terminus at Krombach has no speed limit. Between Untereschbach and Refrath westbound the limit is 100 km/h weekdays. It is mostly 2 lanes each way, but between Untereschbach and Wiehl, several climbing lanes operate in both directions.

The eastern part starts at the Kirchheim intersection (with the

The westernmost 11 kilometers of the A4 form the most easterly stretch of the European route E314: continuing east from the Aachen interchange (Kreuz Aachen), the A4 is part of European route E40. European routes don't have gaps and E 40 follows A 45 and A 5, which is a suitable route past the gap of A4.

In 1927, the first ideas planned connections between Aachen and Cologne, and additional connections between Erfurt and Breslau (

Inner German Border began in 2007 and required building 25 km (16 mi) of new road.^[2] In 1999, the new tunnel at Königshain Hills (near Görlitz) was opened. In 2014, the section of A 4 between Cologne and Aachen was rerouted on a new 10.9-mile highway section near Kerpen. The abandonment of the old route was due to the expansion of coal mining in the Hambach open-pit mine.^[3]

Wiehltalbrücke accident

The "Wiehltalbrücke" is a bridge that carries the A4 across the valley of the river Wiehl. The A4 near Gummersbach, North Rhine-Westphalia was the site of the then-most expensive traffic accident in German history: On 26 August 2004, a BMW M3, whose driver had no driving license and was later found to be driving under the influence, collided with a truck carrying 33,000 litres of gasoline. The truck crashed through a guardrail, fell off the Wiehltalbrücke and exploded, killing the driver. The subsequent fire caused severe structural damage to the bridge. The BMW driver was jailed for 22 months.^[4]

The bridge was closed for weeks until temporary repairs were completed. Permanent repairs finished on 22 August 2006, using a method never before used in Germany.^[5] Among other things a 20 m × 31 m segment was replaced while the bridge was closed. The repairs cost €7.2 million.

References

^ "Tempolimit auf der A4 bei Düren" (in German). WDR. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
^ "VINCI preferred bidder for a motorway concession in Germany". VINCI. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
^ "German Highway Rotting Away - No Cars Can Drive Here Anymore". www.msn.com. FOCUS Online. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
^ "Tatort Wiehltalbrücke: Unfallverursacher verurteilt". Faz.net (in German). FAZ. 14 September 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
^ "Neues Brückensegment erfolgreich in Wiehltalbrücke eingehoben". www.strassen.nrw.de (in German). 13 July 2006. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2020.

External links

Media related to Bundesautobahn 4 at Wikimedia Commons
Geographic data related to Bundesautobahn 4 at OpenStreetMap
Bundesautobahn 4 – detailed route plan (in German)

v t e Autobahn system in Germany
Major routes	A 1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A 6 A 7 A 8 A 9	German Autobahn symbol
Regional routes	A 10 A 11 A 12 A 13 A 14 A 15 A 17 A 19 A 20 A 21 A 23 A 24 A 25 A 26 A 27 A 28 A 29 A 30 A 31 A 33 A 36 A 37 A 38 A 39 A 40 A 42 A 43 A 44 A 45 A 46 A 48 A 49 A 52 A 57 A 59 A 60 A 61 A 62 A 63 A 64 A 65 A 66 A 67 A 70 A 71 A 72 A 73 A 81 A 92 A 93 A 94 A 95 A 96 A 98 A 99
Local routes	A 100 A 103 A 111 A 113 A 114 A 115 A 117 A 143 A 210 A 215 A 226 A 252 A 253 A 255 A 261 A 270 A 280 A 281 A 293 A 352 A 369 A 391 A 392 A 445 A 448 A 480 A 485 A 516 A 524 A 535 A 542 A 544 A 553 A 555 A 559 A 560 A 562 A 565 A 571 A 573 A 602 A 620 A 623 A 643 A 648 A 650 A 656 A 659 A 661 A 671 A 672 A 831 A 861 A 864 A 952 A 980 A 995
Planned or former routes	A 16 A 17* A 18 A 22 A 32 A 34 A 35 A 36 A 40* A 41 A 47 A 50 A 51 A 53 A 54 A 55 A 56 A 69 A 74 A 75 A 77 A 80 A 82 A 83 A 84 A 85 A 86 A 87 A 88 A 89 A 90 A 91 A 102 A 104 A 105 A 106 A 107 A 140 A 201 A 205 A 227 A 241 A 250 A 263 A 282 A 290 A 314 A 339 A 369 A 376 A 388 A 395 A 430 A 432 A 441 A 441* A 443 A 451 A 480* A 533 A 540 A 545 A 552 A 558 A 580 A 610 A 621 A 647 A 652 A 653 A 654 A 655 A 680 A 683 A 687 A 713 A 720 A 722 A 731 A 751 A 752 A 753 A 828 A 833 A 834 A 840 A 860 A 862 A 863 A 863* A 881 A 895 A 921 A 922 A 942 A 944 A 985 A 990 A 991 A 992 A 993 A 994 A 996 A 997 A 998 A 999
See also	Reichsautobahn (history) Autobahnpolizei
* original plan: number is used by another route now

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Germany
Geographic	Structurae