Hamburg motorists face four days of significant disruption as a full closure of the A7 motorway coincides with a strike impacting the Elbtunnel. The motorway will be completely shut down between the Stellingen and Heimfeld junctions from Friday evening, February 20, 2026, at 10:00 PM until Monday morning, February 23, 2026, at 5:00 AM, due to the installation of new traffic sign gantries and ongoing construction of a noise protection tunnel.
Adding to the congestion, the ver.di union has called for industrial action at the Elbtunnel’s control center, beginning Friday at 6:00 AM and lasting until Tuesday at 6:00 AM. This will reduce traffic flow to two lanes in each direction, normally three, within the tunnel itself. The combined impact of the closure and the strike is expected to cause “massive traffic jams” on the A7 and throughout Hamburg, according to authorities.
The police are advising drivers to switch to public transport. A comprehensive diversion route via the A1, A21, and B205 has been established for through traffic and long-distance journeys. For traffic approaching from the south, the diversion will commence at the Buchholzer Dreieck/Horster Dreieck interchange, leading onto the A1. Drivers approaching from the north will be directed onto the B205 from the Neumünster-Süd junction.
Inner-city diversions will utilize the Elbe bridges, but the B75, often used as an alternative to the A1, is also affected by roadworks, with only one lane available in each direction near the A7 interchange at Hamburg-Marmstorf. Heavy goods vehicles will need to take significant detours as passage through the Elbtunnel and Norderelbbrücke will be impossible during the strike period.
The bus lines 150, 250, and 611 operated by Hochbahn will be rerouted via the Elbe bridges. The repeated closures of the A7 are part of a larger project to expand the motorway to eight lanes and improve noise protection, with the Altona noise protection tunnel scheduled for completion in 2028.
Further A7 closures are scheduled throughout 2026, including additional 55-hour full closures in March, April, May, June, and September, impacting the Elbtunnel and surrounding areas. These closures are related to work on the Altona tunnel deck and the tunnel control centers.