Bundesautobahn 66

Bundesautobahn 66
source
Country	DEU
Type	Autobahn
Route	66
Length km	121.8
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Wiesbaden
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Fulda
States	Hesse
Established	1960s
Completed	2020s

Bundesautobahn 66. It is a significant east-west motorway in central Germany, located entirely within the state ofHesse. The autobahn connects the Rhine-Main metropolitan area around Wiesbaden and Frankfurt with the eastern regions of Hesse, terminating at the city of Fulda. As a vital corridor, it links major routes like the A 3, A 5, and A 7, facilitating both regional traffic and long-distance travel towards Thuringia and Bavaria.

Route description

The western terminus of the motorway is at the Schierstein interchange near Wiesbaden, where it connects to the A 643 heading towards the city center. It proceeds eastward, skirting the southern outskirts of Wiesbaden and passing through the Main-Taunus-Kreis before reaching the heavily trafficked Frankfurt interchange with the A 5. The route continues through the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, following valleys in the Spessart low mountain range and passing near towns like Hanau, Gelnhausen, and Bad Orb. The eastern section traverses the Fulda district, culminating at its current terminus at the Fulda interchange with the A 7. The landscape transitions from the urbanized Rhine-Main area to the forested hills of the Spessart and the Rhön mountains.

History

Planning for the route began in the 1930s as part of the Reichsautobahn network, intended to connect Frankfurt with Leipzig. Construction started but was halted by World War II. Major work resumed in the 1960s, with the section between the Wiesbaden interchange and Niedernhausen opening in 1963. The segment from Ronneburg to Fulda was completed by 1974, creating a continuous link. A critical, long-delayed gap through the Spessart between Bad Orb and Flieden became known as the "Spessart Lücke" (Spessart Gap). This final 16-kilometer section, involving complex engineering like the Mernes tunnel, was inaugurated in September 2022 after decades of political debate and environmental protests, finally completing the entire motorway.

Junctions and interchanges

Major junctions from west to east include the Schierstein interchange with the A 643, the Wiesbaden interchange providing access to the A 671, and the crucial Nordwestkreuz Frankfurt with the A 5. Further east, it meets the Hanau interchange for the A 45 (Sauerlandlinie), the Gelnhausen interchange, and the Bad Orb interchange. The newly opened section features the Mernes tunnel and the Flieden interchange. The eastern terminus is the Fulda interchange, a three-level cloverleaf interchange with the A 7, providing connections towards Kassel and Würzburg.

Future plans

While the mainline is now complete, future projects focus on capacity upgrades and noise protection. A major plan involves expanding the section between the Wiesbaden interchange and the Nordwestkreuz Frankfurt to six lanes to alleviate chronic congestion in the Rhine-Main area. There are also proposals to improve the B 40 connection at the Gelnhausen interchange to better handle local traffic. Environmental mitigation measures, such as constructing wildlife crossings and noise barriers in the Spessart region, remain ongoing priorities following the recent completion. Discussions about extending the route further east towards Thuringia have been largely superseded by upgrades to parallel routes like the B 27.

Cultural references

The long-unfinished "Spessart Lücke" became a potent symbol in German media for protracted infrastructure projects and political gridlock, frequently referenced in newspapers like the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The motorway's route through the scenic Spessart has been featured in travel documentaries and regional programming on broadcasters like Hessischer Rundfunk. The opening of the final gap was a significant regional event, attended by figures like Boris Rhein, the Minister-President of Hesse, and celebrated in local festivals in towns such as Bad Orb and Schlüchtern. The Mernes tunnel, as one of the longest road tunnels in Hesse, has also attracted attention in engineering publications.

Category:Autobahns in Germany Category:Transport in Hesse