German autobahn crumbling as heat damage spreads

[Eugene]

Source: dpa German Press Agency

German autobahn crumbling as heat damage spreads

DPA
Sat, June 27, 2026 at 11:57 AM EDT1 min read

Extreme heat has caused growing damage to one of Germany's main east-west motorways, forcing additional closures and lengthy traffic delays as temperatures continued to soar across the country.

The affected section of the A2 motorway, which connects Berlin with western Germany, is steadily expanding near the town of Ziesar, according to police.

"The A2 is continuing to break apart," a police spokesman said on Saturday. "As a result, one interchange after another has to be closed."

Traffic is being diverted onto local roads, but authorities warned that some sections of the motorway in the Ziesar area, located in the eastern state of Brandenburg, have deteriorated so severely that vehicles can no longer travel safely across the surface.

The closures have led to traffic jams on one of Germany's most important transport corridors. Heat damage to the roadway was first identified on Thursday near Burg in the direction of Hanover and between Ziesar and Wollin on the route towards Berlin.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/german-autobahn-crumbling-heat-damage-155731541.html

[Wounded Bear]

1. Hitler built much of that system in the 30's...

I wonder how upkeep has been going over the last 90 years or so...

[Eugene]

2. Germany maintains them to very high standards.

That's how motorists can drive on them at 250 km/h plus.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Time for industrial grinders, polymer remix, and pour it on again. /nt

[enid602]

4. Cool pavement

Phoenix is painting all its asphalt streets with an asphalt coating that is a light gray color. Cool Pavement program. Cools pavement on the roads by 13%.

[Takket]

5. this is what gets me about the people saying dealing with climate change is "too expensive"

if you think replacing oil/coal with renewable energy is expensive, wait until you see how much it is going to cost to replace all the infrastructure that is failing. wait until you see what it costs to build a sea wall EVERYWHERE to try and hold back the rising seas. wait until you see what it costs to install air conditioning in places that enver needed it before... etc etc... we cannot afford, in any way, to just pretend this isn't happening.

[Talitha]

6. Gee, I bet Dump knows a guy that can fix it for them...

[Enter stage left]

7. Gee whiz, if only someone had warned us 30 years ago...

I'm sure the republicans would have been alarmed enough to do something?

Cough, cough...Al Gore...cough.

[WarGamer]

9. Wouldn't have made a difference

[Enter stage left]

10. You're correct, but he DID warn us 30 years ago and was laughed at!

[WarGamer]

8. I know nufffing!!