| Bundesstraße 170 | |
|---|---|
| Country | DEU |
| Route | 170 |
| Length km | 124 |
| Terminus a | Dresden |
| Terminus b | Zirndorf |
| States | Saxony |
| Cities | Dresden, Pirna, Riesa |
Bundesstraße 170
Bundesstraße 170 (B170) is a federal highway (Bundesstraße) in Germany that begins in the urban area of Dresden and connects the city with towns to the southeast and northwest across Saxony. Within Dresden the B170 serves as a primary arterial for intra- and interurban traffic, linking residential districts, industrial areas and regional railway hubs and thus playing a key role in the metropolitan transport network.
Within Dresden the B170 follows a generally south-easterly alignment as it leaves the city centre toward Pirna and the Elbe River valley. The route enters Dresden near the Gorbitz and traverses districts including Löbtau, Plauen, Südvorstadt and Strehlen before crossing the inner ring roads and the Dresden-Neustadt/Dresden Hauptbahnhof vicinity. Key municipal links along this alignment include Stadtbahn Dresden corridors, tram lines operated by DVB (Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe), and interchange points serving the regional Saxon railway network. The B170 intersects arterial streets such as Albertplatz, Wiener Straße, and connects to the A17 autobahn at the Dresdner southeast approaches.
The corridor now designated B170 has origins in 19th-century turnpikes and trade routes connecting Dresden with Bohemian and Saxon hinterlands. After incorporation into the national road categorization in the 20th century, the B170 was progressively upgraded to handle motorized traffic growth associated with industrialization in Görlitz and the Chemnitz-Zwickau region. Post-war reconstruction in Dresden, including rebuilding after the 1945 bombing, required significant realignment of several arterial roads. During the German reunification period infrastructure investments by the Bundesverkehrsministerium and the state of Saxony funded carriageway widenings, bridge reconstructions and the modernization of junctions to integrate the B170 with new autobahn links such as the A17.
Major junctions within Dresden include the connection to the A17 at the southeastern approach, grade-separated crossings with the inner ring B170n extensions, and junctions with federal roads such as the B6 and B97. The B170 also interfaces with key rail nodes including Dresden Hauptbahnhof and Dresden-Neustadt station, allowing multimodal transfers to long-distance services operated by Deutsche Bahn and regional services by S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland. Important local nodes along the route are the junctions at Luga/Coschütz (for industrial access), the interchange serving the Flughafen Dresden approach roads, and the connection to municipal ring roads that distribute traffic to districts such as Johannstadt and Prohlis.
The B170 functions as a distributor for commuter and freight traffic in and out of Dresden, with peak-hour congestion on approaches to the city centre and near industrial estates. Traffic monitoring by the state of Saxony and data compiled by Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe and regional transport authorities indicate high average daily traffic (ADT) on urban sections, including significant proportions of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) that use the route as an alternative to the autobahn network. The road supports connections to the Port of Dresden facilities on the Elbe for combined road–water transport, and integrates with local public transport policy aims such as the Saxon Integrated Transport Concept to balance private vehicle use with tram and rail services.
Along its Dresden alignment the B170 includes several engineered structures of note: river-crossing bridges over tributaries of the Elbe, elevated viaducts through built-up districts, and reconstructed overpasses dating from post-reunification upgrades. Notable technical works include the modernization of the bridge near Lockwitz and reinforced concrete viaducts rebuilt to contemporary load standards following engineering assessments by regional offices of the Sächsisches Landesamt für Straßen und Verkehr. Pavement rehabilitation projects have employed noise-reducing asphalt in residential stretches to mitigate environmental impacts, coordinated with environmental protection provisions under Saxon law.
Urban planning for Dresden treats the B170 as both a mobility corridor and an urban design element. Municipal projects seek to reduce through-traffic in sensitive neighbourhoods such as Strehlen and Plauen by routing long-distance freight to the A17 and by introducing traffic-calming measures, detailed in city planning documents prepared by the Landeshauptstadt Dresden planning department. Future infrastructure works under consideration include the completion of bypass segments (B170n schemes), junction grade separations near industrial zones, and upgrades to pedestrian and cycling crossings in accordance with the National Cycling Plan and Saxony's active-transport policies. These projects are subject to environmental impact assessments and funding decisions by the Free State of Saxony and federal authorities.
Category:Roads in Saxony Category:Transport in Dresden