A4 near Bad Hersfeld: Record renovation started for 300 million euros!

A4 near Bad Hersfeld: Record renovation started for 300 million euros!

The groundbreaking ceremony for the comprehensive renovation of the A4 motorway in the Bad Hersfeld-West section was held in Bad Hersfeld today. The federal Autobahn GmbH is investing a total of around 300 million euros in the renovation, which is being carried out over a total length of 10.7 kilometers. The focus of the work is not only on the road surface, but also on five bridges, including the old Fulda Bridge from 1938 and 1939. The construction work is an important sign for the transport infrastructure in Hesse, and the federal government is contributing around 197 million euros to it [insuedthueringen.de](https://www.insuedthueringen.de/content.autobahn-a4-bei-bad-hersfeld-fahrbahn-und-fuenf-bruecken- Werden-erneuert.74f94eb8-214c-46e8-a0fa-e0684eb6cbf0.html) reported.

“This is good business for the region,” said District Administrator Torsten Warnecke during the symbolic ceremony. Persons present included State Secretary Ines Fröhlich and the mayor of Bad Hersfeld, Anke Hofmann. They are all pleased with the progress in this important infrastructure project. Construction work is scheduled for the next few years, with the first construction phase scheduled to last until the end of 2026. During the entire construction period, all four lanes should remain accessible, although narrowed.

Construction projects in detail

The planned measures are diverse and include the demolition and construction of five bridges, the construction of two ten-meter-high noise barriers and the creation of additional hard shoulders on uphill stretches. A total of around 2.6 kilometers of new road surfaces will be created, which will be covered with noise-reducing asphalt. These measures should reduce the noise level on the motorway by around a third, according to forecasts from hna.de.

The complexity of the project also includes shifting the roadway to the south and building rainwater retention basins and retaining walls. “A lot of gravel is being moved here; around 190,000 cubic meters of earth has to be moved,” explains Michael Güntner from Autobahn GmbH. Those responsible have decided on a joint venture between the construction companies Leonhard Weiss and Stahlbau Zwickau, which will work with around 30 subcontractors to ensure the work is carried out quickly.

Part of national transport strategy

The expansion of the A4 between Bad Hersfeld and Wildeck-Obersuhl is part of a broader plan to modernize the transport infrastructure in Germany. According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, there are currently 144 transport projects of outstanding public interest that, among other things, address congestion hotspots and bottlenecks. Hesse is well represented with 20 projects, as [auto-motor-und-sport.de](https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/verkehr/144-bauprojekte-diese-autobahnen- Werden-ausmachen/) reports. The approval processes have been optimized by the Approval Acceleration Act, so that rapid progress is possible.

This major project not only improves the road infrastructure, but also promotes traffic safety for residents in the noise protection areas. So from now on it's time to keep your eyes open and keep your fingers crossed that everything goes according to plan. There is definitely something going on here that will have a positive impact on future mobility in the region.