Anticipates Heavy Traffic Congestion During Ascension Weekend, According to ADAC - Anticipated road congestion during the Ascension weekend, as per ADAC's prediction.
Ascension Weekend to Bring Heady Traffic and Congestion in North Rhine-Westphalia
Drivers bracing for significant traffic congestion as the long Ascension weekend begins on Wednesday. The day before Ascension in 2022 was one of the ten most congested days of the year, according to ADAC, with 779 congestion hours registered.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, although there are no official school holidays on Friday, many students have a flexible holiday and are thus off. Across other federal states, the bridge day is a public holiday, leading to many families embarking on a short vacation.
With around 700 construction sites in NRW, motorists may face extended delays. "Areas with reduced lanes have a high risk of congestion," notes Roman Suthold, head of the traffic and environment department at ADAC North Rhine. He anticipates Cologne and the Ruhr area, which host numerous construction sites, will be severely congested due to the combination of heavy traffic and construction works.
ADAC expects the heaviest traffic on Wednesday between 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, when commuters and holidaymakers share the roads. Commuters and evening travelers stand a better chance of a smoother, more relaxed journey.
Sunday afternoon will see fuller roads during the return journey. While there are fewer commuters on the road, Suthold expects less congestion than at the start of the long weekend.
Bypassing a motorway traffic jam via the local road is rarely advantageous, according to ADAC. Detours often become congested too, and it makes sense to leave the motorway only for traffic jams exceeding ten kilometers or in the event of a complete closure.
While the aforementioned factors contribute to heightened traffic prospects and congestion hotspots in North Rhine-Westphalia, particularly in Cologne and the Ruhr area, it is prudent to consult local traffic updates or trusted German traffic services, such as the ADAC or North Rhine-Westphalia's traffic information websites, for precise traffic hotspots and construction sites.
The community policy in North Rhine-Westphalia should encourage carpooling during the Ascension weekend to reduce traffic congestion, given the expected heavy traffic and extended construction work. To ensure a more relaxed lifestyle during the holiday, individuals might opt for alternative transportation methods such as trains or buses, or plan their travel according to the less congested hours suggested by ADAC.
