by Germany and Austria prolong their border controls
The German Ministry of the Interior has notified the European Commission about the extension of temporary checks along the country’s internal land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland until June 15. Austria has done the same along its land border with the Czech Republic until April 16.
Germany
Border controls have been prolonged to combat smuggling and limit illegal migration. By virtue of Article 25 of the Schengen Borders Code, temporary controls will be in place until June 15. Border checks are also taking place at the German-Austrian border and will last until May 11.
Border monitoring activities of the German Border Guard are carried out at different points and times along smuggling routes, depending on the current situation. Since October 16, 2023, in the course of temporary controls along the border with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland, the federal police have detected almost 23,000 unauthorized entries and made 13,000 interventions to prevent entry or terminate illegal stay. The number of unauthorized entries detected nationwide dropped from around 21,000 in September 2023 to around 6,700 in January 2024. 564 smugglers were arrested during this period.
Austria
In accordance with the regulation of the Federal Minister of the Interior, checks on the land border with the Czech Republic will continue until April 16.
by Five weeks of closures of A249 in Kent
The A249 in Kent is set to be closed for five weeks as part of the M2 Junction 5 improvement scheme as we construct the new A249 carriageway to the south of Stockbury Roundabout.
To safely carry out this work, the southbound A249 carriageway (towards Maidstone) between the Stockbury Roundabout and Church Hill will be closed for five weeks. These closures will be put in place from Friday 23 February to Saturday 30 March 2024. To minimise disruption, two lanes will be kept open heading towards the roundabout from Maidstone.
There will also be an overnight closure on the northbound carriageway between the M20 Junction 7 and Stockbury Roundabout from 8pm Friday 16 February to 5am Monday 19 February 2024 for preparation work.
The same stretch of road will also be closed overnight from Sunday 10 March to Monday 11 March 2024 and again overnight on Thursday 28 March and Friday 29 March between 8pm and 5am each night.
At the same time, National Highways will also take the opportunity to build the new London-bound exit slip road. This should also encourage drivers to stay on the M2 and reduce traffic arriving at the Stockbury Roundabout while the southbound A249 is closed. This slip road will also be closed for the duration of this five-week period.
Closure information
❎ Friday 16 to Monday 19 February – A249 northbound weekend closure
The A249 northbound will be closed between the M20 junction 7 and the Stockbury Roundabout from 8pm Friday 16 February to 5am Monday 19 February for preparation work.
Diversion:
Signed diversions via the M20, A229, M2 and A249. For non-motorway traffic, please use the A249, A229, A2 and A249.
❎ Monday 19 February to Saturday 30 March – closure of Church Hill exit
When the A249 northbound reopens on Monday 19 February, the Church Hill exit will remain closed until 5am Saturday 30 March. This will allow to build the new junction with Church Hill.
Diversion:
Use Chalky Road to join the A249.
❎ Friday 23 February to Saturday 30 March – A249 southbound closure
The A249 southbound will be closed from the Stockbury Roundabout to Church Hill, along with the M2 junction 5 London-bound exit slip, from 8pm Friday 23 February to 5am Saturday 30 March. There will be no access to the A249 from Oad Street or South Green Lane during this time.
Diversion:
a signed diversion will be in place via the M2, A229, M20 and A249. For non-motorway traffic, please use A249, A2, A229, A249.
To leave the M2 London-bound and join the A249 towards Sittingbourne, stay on the M2 to junction 4 and return to junction 5 on the coastbound carriageway.
❎ Sunday 10, Thursday 28 and Friday 29 March – A249 northbound overnight closures
The A249 northbound will be closed between M20 junction 7 and the Stockbury Roundabout from 8pm Sunday 10 March to 5am Monday 11 March to move northbound traffic onto the southbound carriageway.
The A249 northbound will then be closed between M20 junction 7 and the Stockbury Roundabout overnight again on Thursday 28 March and Friday 29 March between 8pm and 5am each night.
Diversion:
please use the M20, A229, M2 and A249. For non-motorway traffic please use the A249, A229, A2 and A249.
When the road reopens at 5am on Saturday 30 March, both sides of the A249 will be open.
While the A249 is closed, work will also be conducted on the southern links to the upgraded junction, including:
• The A249 southbound (towards Maidstone) exit from the Stockbury Roundabout
• The northbound (towards Sheppey) A249 on to the Stockbury flyover.
• The South Green link road that will connect South Green Lane and Oad Street to the Stockbury Roundabout.
• The M2 London-bound exit slip.
by Germany: Weekend closure of the A7 – recommended diversion routes
Owing to the construction of the new A7/A26 HH-Hafen intersection, the A7 will be completely closed in both directions between the HH-Heimfeld (32) and the HH-Volkspark (27) junctions from 10 PM on Friday, February 16, until 5:00 AM, on Monday, February 19.
Slip lanes at the junctions HH-Volkspark (27), HH-Bahrenfeld (28), HH-Othmarschen (29), HH-Waltershof (30), HH-Hausbruch (31), and HH-Heimfeld (32) will be closed from 9 PM on Friday, February 16.
Recommended diversion routes:
Long-distance traffic is diverted along the A1, A21 and B205 in both directions.
❎ Traffic from the south from the Bucherholzer intersection (43) / Horster intersection (40) is diverted through the Maschener Kreuz intersection (39) and then along the A1 motorway
❎ Traffic from the north, from the Neumünster-Süd junction (15) is diverted along the B205 road
The diversion route is indicated by the traffic control system (VMS panels).
Diversions in the city center and southbound diversions:
❎ Traffic towards Hannover – drivers should follow the “Elbbrücken” signs at the HH-Stellingen junction (26) on the B5 to A1 and A7
• along the streets Kieler Straße -Sportplatzring – Koppelstraße – Julius-Vosseler Straße Vogt-Wells-Straße (Elbbrücken) – Osterfeldstraße – Lokstedter Weg – Eppendorfer Marktplatz – Heinickestraße – Hudtwalkerstraße – Winterhuder Marketplatz – Barmbeker Straße – Bachstraße – Her derstraße – Winterhuder Weg – Land wehr – Sievekingsallee to the Horner roundabout, then along A24 to A1 towards the Elbe bridges
• or continue along the B5 via Burgstraße – Grevenweg via Eiffestraße to the HH-Billstedt junction (33) along the A1 motorway towards Bremen
❎ Southbound traffic towards Altona-West is diverted along the U33 at the HH-Volkspark junction (27) and at the Schnackenburg / Binsbarg intersection turns left towards Altona.
❎ Alternative routes are also available to reduce traffic congestion:
• from the HH-Schnelsen-Nord junction (23) through the airport ring road B432 and B433 along Alsterkrugchaussee,
— from there along the Ring 2 road towards the east,
— or continue along the B5 towards Elbbrücken, for example towards the Centre
• from the HH-Schnelsen junction (24) on the B447, follow the signs for Elbbrücken or Centrum.
Diversions in the city center and northbound diversions:
❎ Towards Flensburg, traffic at the HH-Heimfeld junction (32) is diverted via the U7, following the “Elbbrücken” signs.
• Stader Straße – Buxtehuder Straße – Hannoversche Straße, and then along Neuländer Straße through the HH-Harburg junction onto the A1
• from there continue along the B75, first following the signs for “Flughafen”, then along the B5 from Barmbeker Straße and Vogt-Wells-Straße towards the A7 via the HH-Stellingen junction (26)
• or continue along the eastbound A1 motorway to the Horner roundabout and then onto the A24
• or to the HH-Billstedt junction (33) along the B5 towards HH-Centrum
❎ Traffic from the south towards the port can take the U21 diversion at the HH-Heimfeld junction (32) towards the port.
For traffic from Lüneburg/Uelzen towards Lübeck or Kiel, the following diversion is recommended:
❎ From the A39 via the Handorf junction (5), then take the B404, A25, A1 towards Lübeck or the A21 towards Kiel.
For traffic from from Lüneburg/Uelzen towards HH-Centrum the following diversion is recommended:
❎ From the A39 via the Handorf junction (5) then take the B404, A25, A1 towards Lübeck and at the HH-Billstedt junction (33) on the B5 towards HH-Centrum or via the A24 from the HH-Ost junction (31).
Abnormal loads
Vehicles carrying abnormal loads must, if possible, avoid the area affected by the A7 closure, since there are no possibilities of travelling in either direction. Traffic restrictions for vehicles carrying abnormal loads will be clearly indicated in front of the following parking areas:
❎ Southbound traffic:
A7: Aalbek; Holmmoor; Bönningstedt
A23: Steinburg; Rantzau
❎ Northbound traffic:
A7: Harburger Berge; Seevetal
A261: Rosengarten.
by Finland: border crossings with Russia closed until mid-April
During the meeting on February 8, the Finnish government decided to prolong the closure of all land border crossings between Finland and Russia until April 14.
This means that it is not possible to apply for international protection at land border crossings between Finland and Russia.
It is believed that there are hundreds, and possibly thousands, of migrants in the vicinity of the Russian border waiting to continue their journey to Finland. The prolongation of the border closure is therefore necessary to protect national security and public order.
by Closures of M25 and A3 closures as junction 10 project enters next phase
National Highways is warning road users who use the M25 and A3 in and around Surrey about weekend closures that will take place throughout the year.
Junction 10 on the M25 – the interchange with the A3 at Wisley – is one of the busiest in the country and experiences large queues and heavy congestion on a daily basis. It also has one of the highest recorded collision rates across England’s motorway and major A roads nationally. This project will reduce collisions by around a third but also create a better connection and smoother traffic for the 270,000 drivers who use it every day.
For the safety of road users and the operatives undertaking the work, a number of weekend closures of the M25 and A3 in Surrey will be needed throughout the year to enable the works to be completed safely and efficiently. The first closures will take place in February and March:
✅ A3 between Send and junction 10 (Wisley): Full carriageway closure, both directions – from 9pm on Friday 23, to 6am on Monday ,26 February. Bridge demolition work.
✅ M25 between junction 11 (Chertsey Interchange) and junction 10 (Wisley): Full carriageway closure, both directions – from 9pm on Friday, 15 March, to 6am on Monday, 18 March. Bridge demolition and gantry installation.
Further closures of the M25 and A3 are planned throughout the year. National Highways will be sharing the detailed information on the scheme website to keep road users informed. Due to the nature of the works, all closures are subject to change if events outside of National Highways control occur – such as adverse weather conditions. National Highways M25 junction 10 upgrade is expected to be complete in summer 2025.
by Disruptions on the Alpine route – closures of the Mount Blanc tunnel
Traffic in the tunnel will be completely suspended on from 10 PM on January 15 to 6 AM on January 16.
Night alternating one-way traffic restrictions are also scheduled between 10:30 PM and 6:00 AM on:
◾ January 16/17.
◾ January 17/18.
◾ January 18/19.
◾ January 22/23.
◾ January 23/24.
◾ January 24/25.
◾ January 25/26.
by Changes in the Hungarian road toll system. Fines for a wrong axle category
From January 1, lorries with five or more axles must be classified into the J5 category, and not to J4, as was the case before.
One of the changes in the Hungarian road toll system from January 1, 2024 is the introduction of the J5 axle category, which includes five-axle vehicles combinations even if one of the rear axles is lifted while driving. Failure to enter the correct number of axles may result in fines. From January 1 the J4 category can only be applied to four-axle vehicles. Operators of vehicles with five or more axles can provide information about the number of axles via the HU-GO website or their on-board devices.
by France:additional HGV driving ban in winter and summer
Every year additional restrictions are introduced for heavy goods vehicles in winter and summer. They apply to lorries and vehicle combinations with a GVW over 7.5t, with the exception of special vehicles and agricultural machinery and vehicles.
The ban applies:
a) in the winter:
on some parts of the road network in the Rhône-Alpes region on the following Saturdays, from 07:00 AM to 6:00 PM and from 10:00 PM to 00:00:
◾ February 10, 17 and 24
◾ March 2 and 9
❗Note: on these days HGV traffic is allowed from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
HGV traffic is banned along the following routes in the Rhône-Alpes region
b) in the summer:
The ban is in effect across the entire road network on the following Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM:
◾July 6, 20 and 27
◾ August 3, 10, 17, 24,
❌In addition to the above, the general driving ban also applies:
◾ from 10:00 PM to 00:00 on Saturdays and on the eve of holidays,
◾ from 00:00 to 10:00 PM on Sundays and holidays.
by Tirol: 24 days with limited cross-border HGV traffic in the 1st half of 2024
As in previous years, on specific days listed in the restriction schedule (below) HGV traffic from Germany at the Kufstein-Nord border crossing on the A12 Inntal motorway in the direction of Innsbruck will be limited to 300 lorries per hour.
The measure has been criticized by international organizations on a number of occassions, but so far to no avail.
Days with restrictions in the 1st half of 2024
➡ January 8 (Monday)
➡ February 5 (Monday)
➡ February 12 (Monday)
➡ February 19 (Monday)
➡ February 26 (Monday)
➡ March 4 (Monday)
➡ March 11 (Monday)
➡ March 28 (Thursday)
➡ April 26 (Friday)
➡ May 2 (Thursday)
➡ May 3 (Friday)
➡ May 6 (Monday)
➡ May 7 (Tuesday)
➡ May 8 (Wednesday)
➡ May 10 (Friday)
➡ May 17 (Friday)
➡ May 18 (Saturday)
➡ May 21 (Tuesday)
➡ May 22 (Wednesday)
➡ May 23 (Thursday)
➡ May 27 (Monday)
➡ May 28 (Tuesday)
➡ May 29 (Wednesday)
➡ May 31 (Friday).
by Slovenia: more traffic and the HGV driving ban on February 8
Because Thursday, February 8, is a public holiday in Slovenia, there is driving ban for heavy goods vehicles.
The ban applies to lorries and vehicle combinations with a maximum authorised mass exceeding 7.5 tons from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. HGV traffic is expected to increase on Wednesday (Feb 7) before the holiday and on Friday (9/02) after the holiday. Difficulties are also expected on the route from Postojna to Cerklje ob Krki (A1/A2) on Friday due to increased traffic of military vehicles accompanied by military police.