by Poland has intensified checks on the border with Slovakia and the Czech Republic
The Border Guard, Police and Road Transport Inspectorate are conducting random checks of buses and other vehicles that may be transporting illegal migrants. Since yesterday, about 150 people from the Middle East and Africa have been detained while trying to get through to Germany.
A statement from Poland’s Minister of the Interior and Administration, Mariusz Kamiński, after a conversation with the head of the German Ministry of the Interior, Nancy Faeser.
Today, the 28 of September, I had a telephone conversation with German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser. We talked about the situation on the Polish-German border and the increasing migration pressure along the Balkan route. I want to stress that media reports about the alleged reintroduction of permanent border checks at the internal Schengen border between Poland and Germany are untrue. The German side has only decided to intensify activities of its border guard along the border with Poland. This is not equivalent to reinstating border checks according to the relevant Schengen rules.
At the same time, given the growing migration pressure along the Balkan route,for example through Hungary, Slovakia, Poland to Germany, we have decided to intensify activities of the Border Guard, the Police and the Road Transport Inspectorate along the borders with Slovakia and the Czech Republic. These involve random checks of buses and other vehicles that may be transporting illegal migrants from this direction. As a result, only yesterday, approximately 150 illegal migrants from the Middle East (including Syria) and Africa, trying to get to Germany, were detained. It turned out that those involved in migrant smuggling were short- and long-term residents of Germany (with visas or residence rights).
Today, I have informed the German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, about these illegal practices. We have agreed that Polish and German uniformed services will cooperate more closely in combating illegal migration. A special task force will be created to this end, consisting of officers from Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany.
Mariusz Kamiński
Polish Minister of the Interior and Administration
by Germany: A 57 closed for a few days
The closure is due to the renovation of the carriageway surface in the direction of Nijmwegen between the Neuss-Süd triangle and the Neuss-West interchange.
The A 57 motorway will be closed from 20:00 on Friday, September 29, until 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 4. Traffic on the A 57 will be diverted at the Neuss-Süd triangle, while further diversions will be introduced for traffic from the A 46 from Düsseldorf to the A 57 towards Nijmegen from the Neuss-Süd triangle along one lane to the Neuss-Norf junction.
Consequently, the junctions Neuss-Norf (on-ramp only), Neuss-Hafen, Neuss-Reuschenberg and, at the Neuss-West junction, the connection between the A 46 and the A 57 towards Nijmegen will also be closed. A diversion for through traffic will be available from the Neuss-Süd triangle, via the A 46 to the Hilden interchange, from there along the A 3 to the Ratingen-Ost intersection and from there on the A 44 to the Meerbusch intersection.
by Austria: Long-term renovation of tunnels on the A10
The general renovation of the Ofenauer and Hiefler tunnels and the Werden tunnel chain (Brentenberg, Zetzenberg, Helbersberg) built in the 1970s is scheduled to last until June 2025.
The purpose of the renovation is to modernise the oldest motorway tunnels in Austria and replace existing safety systems with the latest technology. The replacement of electric safety systems has been going on since September 2022, without any disruption to traffic. The second stage, scheduled to last from September 2023 to June 2024, will involve the closure of one tunnel tube. Due to high traffic intensity and legal requirements, work on the 14-kilometer section will be suspended during the summer period from July to September 2024. During this period, both tunnel pipes will be open without restrictions. The third stage of construction will involve successive closures of each tunnel tube.
The renovated tunnel is supposed to opened to traffic in June 2025. Since traffic intensity is much lower in the winter months, two-way traffic in one tunnel tube is legally allowed during this period. For technical reasons, onstruction work in the winter months cannot be stopped. During the works, delays and traffic jams in both directions are expected on weekdays.
Current information on the situation on the renovated section
by Poland: Several weeks of disruptions, speed limits and a closed service area on the A1
The measures are connected with renovation works scheduled to last about 8 weeks, depending on weather conditions.
Since Monday, September 11, traffic along a 7-kilometer section of the A1 motorway (km 2+200 to km 9+250) has been directed to the carriageway in the direction of Łódź. There are two lanes for traffic in the direction of Gdańsk and one lane for vehicles going in the direction of Łódź. The motorway service area Kleszczewko in the direction of Łódź has been closed to lorries and buses. The speed limit on this section of the A1 is 80 km/h. Drivers are advised to be extra careful and follow temporary traffic management signs.
by Traffic disruptions in tunnels on the German A4 and Swiss A2
From the 11th to 23rd of September, the Königshainer Berge tunnel in the district of Görlitz will be closed for renovation. The Gotthard Tunnel closed since Sunday afternoon (September 10), will not be reopened until further notice.
Königshainer Berge Tunnel
The tunnel will be completely closed in the nights (from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m) between the 11th and 23rd of September.
❌On the night of September 11-12, both lanes will be closed.
❌From September 12 to 14 and from September 18 to 20, the tube in the direction of Görlitz will be closed.
❌From September 14 to 16 and from September 20 to 23, the tube in the direction of Dresden will be closed.
Traffic in the direction of Dresden at the Kodersdorf junction is diverted back to the A4 motorway via the U4 diversion to the Nieder Seifersdorf junction. Traffic in the direction of Görlitz is diverted at the Nieder Seifersdorf junction via the U5 diversion to the Kodersdorf junction back to the A4.
Gotthard Tunnel
The Gotthard Tunnel has been closed because the tunnel ceiling near the northern end has been damaged. Pieces of concrete came loose and fell onto the road. After the damage was reported, the tunnel was immediately closed in both directions. The cause and exact extent of the damage are not known. Initial examination revealed a 25-meter-long crack in the suspended ceiling. The tunnel will remain closed to traffic until further notice.
Car traffic is diverted via the San Bernardino Pass (A 13) and the Gotthard Pass. Lorries waiting to continue their journey at the HGV traffic control centers in Giornico (Ticino canton) and Ripshausen (Uri canton) will be stopped.
by Switzerland: closures of the Gotthard tunnel on the A2 motorway
The Gotthard Road Tunnel will be completely closed for several nights for cleaning and maintenance work.
♦ September 11-15 (4 nights) – every night from 8:00 PM to 05:00 AM.
♦ September 18-22, (4 nights) – every night from 8:00 PM to 05:00 AM.
♦ September 25-29 (4 nights) – every night from 8:00 PM to 05:00 AM.
♦ October 2-4, 2023 (2 nights) – every night from 8:00 PM to 05:00 AM.
Passenger traffic will be diverted to the Gotthard Pass whenever possible and HGV traffic (vehicles >3.5 tonnes) will be blocked half an hour before the tunnel is closed.
by Chaos! Slovenia withdraws the driving ban on August 14
Today (August 10) it has been announced that owing to extraordinary circumstances, all lorries with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 7,500 kg can travel on August 14.
According to the announcement made yesterday, from Saturday, August 12, to Tuesday, August 15, the movement of lorries with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 7,500 kg was to be only allowed in connection with flood relief operations. Now the Slovenian ministry has withdrawn the driving ban on Monday, August 14. Owing to extraordinary circumstances, all lorries with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 7,500 kg are allowed to drive on that day.
The driving ban for vehicles with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 7.5 tons will apply on:
❌ August 12, Saturday, from 8:00 to 1:00 PM, and from 6:00 to 4:00 PM on roads along the coast;
❌ August 14, Monday, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM;
❌ August 15, Tuesday, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM;
by Czech Republic: the overtaking ban for HGVs on the D1 to come into force at a later date
The ban on a 100-kilometer section of the D1 motorway was originally supposed to come into effect this summer, but due to technical problems and the lack of signs informing about the ban, the date of its introduction has been postponed.
The overtaking ban for HGVs in the Czech Republic has been in effect since the start of 2020 on some sections of the D5, D8 and D11 roads in the Prague area, on the renovated D1 near the cities of Brno and Ostrava, and on two sections of the D8 in the north of the country. The plan was to also introduce the ban on a 100-kilometre section of the D1 motorway before the end of summer. However, so far only very few signs informing about the ban have been put up. According to the Czech ministry of transport, 500 signs are to be installed in Prague by November 1.
In addition to D1 in Vysočina, the ministry is also planning to introduce the overtaking ban for HGVs on 33 new sections of the D2, D5, D7, D8, D11, D35, D46, D55 motorways and on the four-lane I/11 road near Ostrava.
by Postponement of the total closure of the Mont Blanc Tunnel
Initially scheduled for Monday 4 September, the start of the reconstruction of the tunnel connecting Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in France with Courmayeur in Italy, has been postponed owing to the closure of the Fréjus Tunnel to HGV traffic.
As a result, the Mont Blanc Tunnel will remain open until the A43 motorway and the Fréjus Tunnel are reopened to HGV traffic. The 15-week closure of the Mont Blanc is estimated to be delayed by fewer than 8 days, depending on technical and weather conditions.
by Slovenia – additional HGV driving bans on August 12-15
The driving ban applies to vehicles with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 7.5 tons on the following dates:
❌ August 12, Saturday, generally from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM on roads along the coast;
❌ August 13, Sunday, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM;
❌ August 15, Tuesday, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM;
Vehicles involved in flood relief are exempt from the ban.