Bundesautobahn 44

A44
Bundesautobahn 44
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Route information
Length	274.6 km (170.6 mi) (planned: 330.3 km)
Location
States	North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, (planned Thuringia)
Highway system
Roads in Germany Autobahns List Federal List State E-roads ← A 43 → A 45

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, and by proxy, eastern European states like Poland and Ukraine.

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 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 Mönchengladbach-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[]

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

Connections from A 52 to A 44[]

Plans[]

Extension near Kassel[]

Near Kassel, the Autobahn will be extended to Thuringia. The following sections are planned:

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 Mönchengladbach-Wanlo was constructed.

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

A3 E 40		Belgium
	(1)	Border crossing Lichtenbusch
		Services Lichtenbusch
	(2)	Aachen-Lichtenbusch B 258
	(3)	Aachen-Brand B 258
	(4)	Aachen 4-way interchange A 4 E 40 A 544
	(5a)	Broichweiden
	()	Alsdorf-Begau (access in direction Aachen only)
	(5b)	Alsdorf (Rheinland)
	(6)	Aldenhoven
	(7)	Jülich-West
		Raststätte Ruraue
		Rurbrücke
	(8)	Jülich-Ost B 55
	(9)	Titz
	(10)	Jackerath 3-way interchange A 61
	(11)	Holz 3-way interchange A 46
	(12)	Mönchengladbach-Odenkirchen
interrupted (not required)
	(21)	Mönchengladbach-Ost
	(22)	Neersen 4-way interchange A 52
	(incl.)	Neersen (touches B 7)
	(23)	Münchheide
	(24)	Krefeld-Forstwald
	(25)	Krefeld-Fichtenhain
	(26)	Osterath
	(27)	Meerbusch 4-way interchange A 57
	(28)	Lank-Latum
		Tunnel Strümp 640 m
		Tunnel Ilvericher Altrheinschlinge 870 m
		Flughafenbrücke 1.287 m
	(29)	Düsseldorf-Messe/Stadion
	(30)	Düsseldorf-Stockum B 8
		Tunnel Flughafentunnel 1070 m
	(31)	Düsseldorf-Flughafen
		Bahnbrücke 60 m
		Kreuz Düsseldorf-Nord (planned) A 59
	(32)	Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange A 52
		Tunnel Schwarzbach 154 m / 150 m
	(32)	Düsseldorf-Nord 4-way interchange A 52
		3-way interchange Rath (planned) A 59
		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 A 3 E 35
		Talbrücke Kaltenbach 129 m
		Talbrücke Homberger Bachtal 216 m
		Angerbachbrücke 319 m
	(35)	Heiligenhaus
		Talbrücke Laubecker Bachtal 206 m
		Talbrücke Ganslandsiepen 194 m
	(36)	Heiligenhaus-Hetterscheid
		Tunnel Birth 807 m / 814 m
	(37)	Velbert-Nord {{BAB-B|224}
	(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) A 52
interrupted (further need)
		Tankstelle -
	(52)	Dortmund/Unna 4-way interchange A 1 E 37 E 331
		Talbrücke Bornekamp
	(53)	Unna-Ost 4-way interchange
		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)	-Haaren 4-way interchange A 33
		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)
	(69)	Kreuz Kassel-West A 49
		Fuldatalbrücke 700 m
	(70)	Dreieck Kassel-Süd A 7 E 45
		Rest area Kassel (under construction)
		3-way interchange Kassel-Mitte A 49
		Talbrücke Losse 200 m
		3-way interchange Dreieck Kassel-Ost (planned) A 7
		Kaufungen (planned)
		Helsa-West (planned)
		Helsa-Ost (planned)
		Tunnel Hirschhagen 4100 m (planned)
		Steinbachtalbrücke 134 m
	(76)	Hessisch Lichtenau-West B 7
		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 B 7
		Tunnel Küchentunnel 1314 m
		Beerbergbrücke 176 m
		Rauschenbrücke 233 m
	(79)	Waldkappel B 7
		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) A 4 (planned / urgent need)

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bundesautobahn 44.

• Bundesautobahn 44 – detailed route plan (in German)

Coordinates: 51°14′49″N 9°36′45″E / 51.24694°N 9.61250°E / 51.24694; 9.61250