Traffic delays on motorways due to crash-related debris and subsequent backup of vehicles
After the summer holidays, traffic congestion in eastern Germany, particularly on highways A24, A10, and A11, has been influenced by several ongoing factors.
While there is no direct, detailed report on congestion for these specific highways and states immediately after the summer holidays, several contextual points inform the situation.
Traffic on German motorways generally shows predictable congestion in rush hours and after disturbances. Studies modeling traffic flow highlight how congestion waves propagate, though these focus more on western German interchanges rather than eastern highways such as A24, A10, or A11.
The closure of the Berlin-Hamburg rail line starting August 1, 2025, for nine months, which affects approximately 230 trains daily, is causing rerouted long-distance freight and passenger traffic onto alternative transport modes. This closure leads to increased reliance on road traffic around Berlin and through Brandenburg, which could worsen highway traffic congestion on routes including A24 and A10 that connect Berlin to Hamburg and other regions.
Driver shortages in Germany's freight transport sector, especially reliance on Eastern European truck drivers, remain critical. This could impact freight traffic flow on eastern highways. However, a shortage might mean fewer trucks on the road or logistical delays rather than straightforward congestion increases.
In the Brandenburg area, the A24, which runs through the northwest of the state, has been quite busy. Several rear-end collisions have occurred on the A24, contributing to the congestion. The police reported a 17-kilometer traffic jam on the A24 between the junctions Herzsprung and Fehrbellin (Ostprignitz-Ruppin) in the afternoon.
In a separate incident, the police reported a traffic jam on the A11 between the junctions Joachimsthal and Pfingstberg (Barnim district). There was also a 6-kilometer traffic jam forming on the A10 between the Nuthetal interchange and the Potsdam interchange.
It is important to note that no specific reports or updates indicate extraordinary traffic events or extended congestion on A24, A10, or A11 after the summer holidays. The ADAC, however, did report these traffic jams on the A24 and A10, but they did not previously make an expectation about a second wave of travel.
Considering these points, the highways A24, A10, and A11 in eastern Germany, which serve as key corridors especially toward Berlin and northern Germany, likely experience some congestion increase due to rail closure-related traffic shifts and normal post-holiday peak usage, but no extraordinary or severe congestion events have been reported as of mid-August 2025.
For minute-by-minute traffic conditions, local German traffic management authorities or real-time traffic monitoring services could offer the most precise updates.
- Despite no detailed reports on specific highway congestion in eastern Germany after the summer holidays, general news outlets have reported an increase in traffic jams on highways A24, A10, and A11, potentially due to rail closure-related traffic shifts and normal post-holiday peak usage.
- Car-accidents, such as rear-end collisions on the A24 and other incidents on the A11 and A10, have contributed to the congestion on these highways, as reported by the local police.
- Aside from these reported traffic jams, there is no evidence of extraordinary or severe congestion events on highways A24, A10, or A11 in eastern Germany, suggesting that the lifestyle changes due to travel might have caused an increase in normal congestion levels but not extraordinary congestion.
