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82-736: The Brenner Autobahn (motorway) (A13 in Austria, A22 in Italy) passes through the valley, beginning with the Europa Bridge near Innsbruck. It is an important road connection across the Alps, forming part of the connection between Munich and Verona . The inhabitants of the Wipp Valley have been complaining for years about the volume of traffic. The Brenner railway also runs through the valley. The proposed Brenner Base Tunnel would remove all long-distance trains from

164-405: A filling station , charging station , lavatories, toilets, and baby changes. Most rest areas also have restaurants, shops, public telephones, Internet access, and a playground. Some have hotels. Mandated every 50 kilometres (31 mi) or so, rest areas are usually open all night. Both kinds of rest areas are directly on the autobahn, with their own exits, and any service roads connecting them to

246-472: A 20% plunge in sales, which they attributed in part to the lowered speed limits. The 100 km/h limit championed by Transportation Minister Lauritz Lauritzen lasted 111 days. Adjacent nations with unlimited speed autobahns, Austria and Switzerland, imposed permanent 130 km/h (81 mph) limits after the crisis. However, after the crisis eased in 1974, the upper house of the German parliament , which

328-593: A centre median like modern motorways, but instead was termed a Kraftfahrstraße ("motor vehicle road") with two lanes each direction without intersections, pedestrians, bicycles, or animal-powered transportation. Just days after the 1933 Nazi takeover, Adolf Hitler enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project, appointing Fritz Todt , the Inspector General of German Road Construction, to lead it. By 1936, 130,000 workers were directly employed in construction, as well as an additional 270,000 in

410-469: A combination of both can be built at a junction to achieve the needed grade separation. In North America, a grade-separated junction may be referred to as a grade separation or as an interchange – in contrast with an intersection , at-grade , a diamond crossing or a level crossing , which are not grade-separated. Roads with grade separation generally allow traffic to move freely, with fewer interruptions, and at higher overall speeds; this

492-470: A general speed limit. In the mid-1980s, acid rain and sudden forest destruction renewed debate on whether or not a general speed limit should be imposed on autobahns. A car's fuel consumption increases with high speed, and fuel conservation is a key factor in reducing air pollution. Environmentalists argued that enforcing limits of 100 km/h (62 mph) limit on autobahns and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads would save lives as well as

574-416: A highway) that they cross. However, grade-separated pedestrian crossings with steps introduce accessibility problems. Some crossings have lifts , but these can be time-consuming to use. Grade-separated roads that permit for higher speed limits can actually reduce safety due to 'weaving' (see below) as well as a perceived sense of safety. The term is most widely applied to describe a road junction in which

656-615: A historical association with war-time restrictions and deprivations, the Nazi era, and the Soviet era in East Germany. After the Nazi dictatorship, German society was happy to overcome the traumas of war by freeing itself from most government restrictions, prohibitions and regulations. "Free driving for free citizens" ("freie Fahrt für freie Bürger"), a slogan promoted by the German Auto Club since

738-467: A lot of rules that corresponded with the international standards of the time. The reasons for this speed limit are unknown. Oftentimes it is argued that the roads were in a poor state, however, there is no proof that the road conditions were a relevant factor in introducing the speed limit, especially since the roads were not much used in the first 20 years after the Second World War and the majority of

820-558: A mandatory limit, deciding the modest measured emission reduction would have no meaningful effect on forest loss. By 1987, all restrictions on test sections had been removed, even in Hesse where the state government was controlled by a "red-green" coalition . Prior to German reunification in 1990, eastern German states focused on restrictive traffic regulation such as a 100 km/h (62 mph) autobahn speed limit and of 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads. Within two years after

902-435: A maximum design speed of 62 km/h (39 mph) (usually denoted by a round black-on-white sign with "62" on it), along with flashing orange beacons to warn approaching cars that they are travelling slowly. There is no general minimum speed but drivers are not allowed to drive at an unnecessarily low speed as this would lead to significant traffic disturbance and an increased collision risk. German national speed limits have

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984-495: A part of the German highway system; the plots of land are federal property. Autobahn exits leading to such parking areas are marked at least 200 metres (660 ft) (mostly 500 metres (1,600 ft)) in advance with a blue sign with the white letter "P". They are usually found every few kilometres. Some of them bear local or historic names. A managed rest area (German: Autobahnraststätte or Raststätte ( German: [ˈʁastˌʃtɛtə] ) for short) usually also includes

1066-414: A partial grade separation will accomplish more improvement than for a road), and because at-grade railway connections often take up significant space on their own. However, they require significant engineering effort, and are very expensive and time-consuming to construct. Grade-separated pedestrian and cycling routes often require modest space since they do not typically intersect with the facility (such as

1148-467: A planned 20,000 km (12,000 mi) of autobahn had been completed. Meanwhile, the median strips of some autobahns were paved over to allow their conversion into auxiliary airstrips . Aircraft were either stashed in numerous tunnels or camouflaged in nearby woods. However, for the most part during the war, the autobahns were not militarily significant. Motor vehicles, such as trucks, could not carry goods or troops as quickly or in as much bulk and in

1230-420: A speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph) in order to reduce noise pollution during overnight hours (usually 10 pm – 6 am) or because of increased traffic during daytime (6 am – 8 pm). Some limits were imposed to reduce pollution and noise. Limits can also be temporarily put into place through dynamic traffic guidance systems that display the corresponding message. More than half of

1312-621: A total length of about 13,192 kilometres (8,197 mi) in 2021 ), and a density of 36 motorway kilometres per thousand square kilometers (Eurostat) which ranks it among the densest and longest controlled-access systems in the world, and fifth in density within the EU in 2016 (Netherlands 66, Finland 3). Longer similar systems can be found in the United States (77,960 kilometres (48,440 mi)) and in China (149,600 kilometres (93,000 mi)). However both

1394-609: Is Strecke 46  [ de ] between Bad Brückenau and Gemünden am Main on the Fulda-Würzburg route, which was replaced by A7 . The autobahns of East Germany (GDR) were neglected in comparison to those in West Germany after 1945. In 1956, the speed limit was set to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in the new version of the Rules of the Road (Straßenverkehrsordnung), which adopted

1476-551: Is 36 kilometers per thousand square kilometer in 2016, close to that of the smaller countries nearby (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Slovenia). About 17,000 emergency telephones are distributed at regular intervals all along the autobahn network, with triangular stickers on the armco barriers pointing the way to the nearest one. Despite the increasing use of mobile phones, there are still about 150 calls made each day on average (after some 700 in 2013). This still equals four calls per kilometre each year. The location of

1558-454: Is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a mixture of roads , footpaths , railways , canals , or airport runways . Bridges (or overpasses , also called flyovers), tunnels (or underpasses ), or

1640-419: Is fully grade-separated, i.e. traffic on one road does not have to stop at yield lines or signals on one road, but may have to do so when switching to the other: On roadways with grade-separated interchanges, weaving is a result of placing an exit ramp a short distance after an entry ramp, causing conflicts between traffic attempting to leave the roadway at the next junction and traffic attempting to enter from

1722-708: Is known as a flying junction and one which is not a level junction . In 1897, the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) made use of a flying junction at Worting Junction south of Basingstoke to allow traffic on the Salisbury and Southampton routes to converge without conflicting movements; this became known as "Battledown Flyover". Also in Britain, the Southern Railway later made extensive use of flying junctions on other parts of its busy former LSWR main line. Today in Britain,

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1804-476: Is not illegal in the absence of a speed limit, it can cause an increased liability in the case of a collision (which mandatory auto insurance has to cover); courts have ruled that an "ideal driver" who is exempt from absolute liability for "inevitable" tort under the law would not exceed the advisory speed limit. A 2017 report by the Federal Road Research Institute reported that in 2015, 70.4% of

1886-472: Is strongly preferred when the intent is to make specific reference to Germany's Autobahn network. Similar to high-speed motorways in other countries, autobahns have multiple lanes of traffic in each direction, separated by a central barrier with grade-separated junctions and access restricted to motor vehicles with a top speed greater than 60 km/h (37 mph). Nearly all exits are to the right; rare left-hand exits result from incomplete interchanges where

1968-656: Is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany . The official term is Bundesautobahn (abbreviated BAB ), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word Bundesautobahn is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of the system has no speed limit for some classes of vehicles. However, limits are posted and enforced in areas that are urbanised, substandard, accident-prone, or under construction. On speed-unrestricted stretches, an advisory speed limit ( Richtgeschwindigkeit ) of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) applies. While driving faster

2050-489: Is the isolated and abandoned twin-carriageway Borovsko Bridge southeast of Prague, on which construction started in July 1939 and halted after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by former Czechoslovak army soldiers at the end of May 1942. As of 2021 , Germany's autobahn network has a total length of about 13,192 kilometres (8,197 mi). From 2009 Germany has embarked on a massive widening and rehabilitation project, expanding

2132-817: Is why speed limits are typically higher for grade-separated roads. In addition, reducing the complexity of traffic movements reduces the risk of accidents . Grade-separated road junctions are typically space-intensive, complicated, and costly, due to the need for large physical structures such as tunnels, ramps, and bridges. Their height can be obtrusive, and this, combined with the large traffic volumes that grade-separated roads attract, tend to make them unpopular to nearby landowners and residents. For these reasons, proposals for new grade-separated roads can receive significant public opposition. Rail-over-rail grade separations take up less space than road grade separations: because shoulders are not needed, there are generally fewer branches and side road connections to accommodate (because

2214-533: The A ;555 from Cologne to Bonn) that usually have three digits for numbering. The first digit used is similar to the system above, depending on the region. East–west routes are even-numbered, north–south routes are odd-numbered. The north–south autobahns are generally numbered from west to east; that is to say, the more easterly roads are given higher numbers. Similarly, the east–west routes are numbered from north (lower numbers) to south (higher numbers). The idea for

2296-514: The Great Central Railway , built between 1896 and 1899, was the first fully grade-separated railway of this type in the UK. This also applies to light rail and even to street cars . Attempts have been made to increase the capacity of railways by making tracks cross in a grade-separated manner, as opposed to the traditional use of flat crossings to change tracks. A grade-separated rail interchange

2378-525: The HaFraBa were completed in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but construction eventually was halted by World War II . The first public road of this kind was completed in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn and opened by Konrad Adenauer ( Lord Mayor of Cologne and future Chancellor of West Germany) on 6 August 1932. Today, that road is the Bundesautobahn 555 . This road was not yet called Autobahn and lacked

2460-459: The Raststätten fuel prices are significantly higher. Rest areas and truck stops are marked several times as motorists approach, starting several kilometres in advance, and include large signs that often include icons announcing what kinds of facilities travellers can expect, such as hotels, filling stations, rest areas, etc. Germany's autobahns are famous for being among the few public roads in

2542-570: The sixteen States and reported the following, comparing the years 2006 and 2008: Except at construction sites, the general speed limits, where they apply, are usually between 100 km/h (62 mph) and 130 km/h (81 mph); construction sites usually have a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph) but the limit may be as low as 60 km/h (37 mph). In rare cases, sections may have limits of 40 km/h (25 mph), or on one ramp 30 km/h (19 mph). Certain stretches have lower speed limits during wet weather. Some areas have

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2624-500: The "straight-on" leads into the exit. The earliest motorways were flanked by shoulders about 60 centimetres (24 in) in width, constructed of varying materials; right-hand shoulders on many autobahns were later retrofitted to 120 centimetres (47 in) in width when it was realized cars needed the additional space to pull off the autobahn safely. In the postwar years, a thicker asphaltic concrete cross-section with fully paved hard shoulders came into general use. The top design speed

2706-754: The 1930s, when construction began on the system, the official name was Reichsautobahn . Various other controlled-access highways exist on the federal ( Bundesstraße ), state ( Landesstraße ), district, and municipal level but are not part of the Autobahn network and are officially referred to as Kraftfahrstraße (with rare exceptions, like A 995 Munich-Giesing–Brunntal until 2018). These highways are considered autobahnähnlich (autobahn-like) and are sometimes colloquially called Gelbe Autobahn (yellow autobahn) because most of them are Bundesstraßen (federal highways) with yellow signs. Some controlled-access highways are classified as "Bundesautobahn" in spite of not meeting

2788-645: The 1970s, is a popular slogan among those opposing autobahn speed restrictions. Tarek Al-Wazir , head of the Green Party in Hesse, and currently the Hessian Transport Minister has stated that "the speed limit in Germany has a similar status as the right to bear arms in the American debate . At some point, a speed limit will become reality here, and soon we will not be able to remember the time before. It's like

2870-570: The A4/M5 junction west of Bristol . Weaving can often cause side-on collisions on very fast roads with top speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour, as well as the problem of blind spots. Where junctions have unusual designs weaving can be a problem other than on the main road. An example of this can be found at Junction 7 of the M6, where traffic joining the roundabout from the M6 Eastbound off-slip must weave with

2952-612: The Autobahn network had only the advisory speed limit, 6.2% had temporary speed limits due to weather or traffic conditions, and 23.4% had permanent speed limits. Measurements from the German state of Brandenburg in 2006 showed average speeds of 142 km/h (88 mph) on a 6-lane section of Autobahn in free-flowing conditions. Only federally built controlled-access highways with certain construction standards including at least two lanes per direction are called Bundesautobahn . They have their own white-on-blue signs and numbering system. In

3034-453: The Eastbound off-slip must leave. Weaving can be alleviated by using collector/distributor roads or braided ramps to separate entering and exiting traffic. In railway construction, grade separation also means the avoidance of level crossings by making any roads or footpaths crossing the line either pass under or over the railway on bridges . This greatly improves safety and is crucial to

3116-688: The Polish S22 expressway from Elbląg (Elbing) to the border with the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast , where it is continued by the R516 regional road. Also on 27 September 1936, a section from Breslau ( Wrocław ) to Liegnitz ( Legnica ) in Silesia was inaugurated, which today is part of the Polish A4 autostrada , followed by the (single vehicle) Reichsautobahn 9 from Bunzlau ( Bolesławiec ) to Sagan ( Żagań )

3198-603: The U.S. and China have an area nearly 30 times bigger than Germany, which demonstrates the high density of Germany's highway system. The first autobahn in Austria was the West Autobahn from Wals near Salzburg to Vienna . Building started by command of Adolf Hitler shortly after the Anschluss in 1938. It extended the Reichsautobahn 26 from Munich (the present-day A 8 ), however only 16.8 km (10.4 mi) including

3280-594: The accident remains one of the highest speeds ever achieved on a public motorway. In the 1930s, a ten-kilometre stretch of what is today Bundesautobahn 9 just south of Dessau —called the Dessauer Rennstrecke —had bridges with no piers and was designed for cars like the Mercedes-Benz T80 to attempt to make land speed records . The T80 was to make a record attempt in January 1940 , but plans were abandoned after

3362-543: The advisory speed limit is 130 km/h (81 mph), referred to in German as the Richtgeschwindigkeit . The advisory speed is not enforceable; however, being involved in an accident driving at higher speeds can lead to the driver being deemed at least partially responsible due to "increased operating danger" ( Erhöhte Betriebsgefahr ). The Federal Road Research Institute ( Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen ) solicited information about speed regulations on autobahns from

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3444-579: The autobahn are located outside densely populated areas. Vehicles with a top speed less than 60 km/h (37 mph) (such as quads , low-end microcars, and agricultural/construction equipment) are not allowed to use the autobahn, nor are motorcycles and scooters with low engine capacity regardless of top speed (mainly applicable to mopeds which are typically limited to 25 kilometres per hour (16 mph) or 45 kilometres per hour (28 mph) anyway). To comply with this limit, heavy-duty trucks in Germany (e.g. mobile cranes, tank transporters etc.) often have

3526-456: The autobahn construction standard (for example, the A 62 near Pirmasens ). Similar to some other German words, the term autobahn when used in English is usually understood to refer specifically to the national highway system of Germany, whereas in German the word autobahn is applied to any controlled highway in any country. For this reason in German, the more specific term Bundesautobahn

3608-469: The branch-off of the planned Tauern Autobahn was opened to the public on 13 September 1941. Construction works discontinued the next year and were not resumed until 1955. There are sections of the former German Reichsautobahn system in the former eastern territories of Germany , i.e. East Prussia , Farther Pomerania , and Silesia ; these territories became parts of Poland and the Soviet Union with

3690-490: The caller is automatically sent to the operator. For breaks during longer journeys, parking sites, rest areas , and truck stops are distributed over the complete Autobahn network. Parking on the autobahn is prohibited in the strictest terms outside these designated areas. There is a distinction between "managed" and "unmanaged" rest areas. (German: bewirtschaftet / unbewirtschaftet ). Unmanaged rest areas are basically only parking spaces, sometimes with toilets. They form

3772-515: The capacity of a road compared to an identical road with at-grade junctions. For instance, it is extremely uncommon to find an at-grade junction on a British motorway ; it is all but impossible on a U.S. Interstate Highway , though a few do exist. If traffic can traverse the junction from any direction without being forced to come to a halt, then the junction is described as fully grade separated or free-flowing . These junctions connect two freeways: These junctions connect two roads, but only one

3854-546: The capital letter A, which simply stands for "Autobahn" followed by a blank and a number (for example A 8 ). The main autobahns going all across Germany have a single-digit number. Shorter autobahns that are of regional importance (e.g. connecting two major cities or regions within Germany) have a double-digit number (e.g. A 24 , connecting Berlin and Hamburg). The system is as follows: There are also some very short autobahns built just for local traffic (e.g. ring roads or

3936-583: The construction of the autobahn was first conceived in the mid-1920s during the days of the Weimar Republic , but the construction was slow, and most projected sections did not progress much beyond the planning stage due to economic problems and a lack of political support. One project was the private initiative HaFraBa which planned a "car-only road" crossing Germany from Hamburg in the north via central Frankfurt am Main to Basel in Switzerland. Parts of

4018-571: The direct flow of traffic on one or more of the roads is not disrupted. Instead of a direct connection, traffic must use on and off ramps ( United States , Australia , New Zealand ) or slip roads ( United Kingdom , Ireland ) to access the other roads at the junction. The road which carries on through the junction can also be referred to as grade separated . Typically, large freeways , highways , motorways , or dual carriageways are chosen to be grade separated, through their entire length or for part of it. Grade separation drastically increases

4100-667: The exception of some top of the range models or engines—to 250 km/h (155 mph). These limiters can be deactivated, so speeds up to 300 km/h (190 mph) might arise on the German autobahn, but due to other traffic, such speeds are generally not attainable except during certain times like between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or on Sundays (when truck drivers have to rest by law). Furthermore, there are certain autobahn sections which are known for having light traffic, making such speeds attainable during most days (especially some of those located in Eastern Germany). Most unlimited sections of

4182-557: The faster speed requires grade separation. Therefore, many high speed lines are elevated, especially in Taiwan and Japan , where population density alongside high speed lines is higher than in France, Italy or Germany. In the United States, a flying junction on the Nickel Plate Road through Cleveland , Ohio , United States was completed in 1913. The most frequent use was later found on

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4264-456: The final report issued in 1977, the Institute stated the mandatory speed limit could reduce the autobahn death toll but there would be economic impacts, so a political decision had to be made due to the trade-offs involved. At that time, the federal government declined to impose a mandatory limit. The fatality rate trend on the German autobahn mirrored those of other nations' motorways that imposed

4346-533: The first limited-access, high-speed road network in the world, with the first section from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt opening in 1935. This straight section was used for high-speed record attempts by the Grand Prix racing teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union until a fatal accident involving popular German race driver Bernd Rosemeyer in early 1938. The world record of 432 kilometres per hour (268 mph) set by Rudolf Caracciola on this stretch just prior to

4428-424: The forest, reducing the annual death toll by 30% (250 lives) on autobahns and 15% (1,000 lives) on rural roads; the German motor vehicle death toll was about 10,000 at the time. The federal government sponsored a large-scale experiment with a 100 km/h (62 mph) speed limit in order to measure the impact of reduced speeds on emissions and compliance. Afterward, again, the federal government declined to impose

4510-500: The former Pennsylvania Railroad main lines. The lines are included as part of the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor now owned by Amtrak . The most complex of these junctions, near Philadelphia Zoo , handles railway traffic for Amtrak, SEPTA , New Jersey Transit , Norfolk Southern , CSX Transportation , and Conrail . In what is known as "area 1520" , which includes the former Soviet Union and other regions using

4592-746: The implementation of the Oder–Neisse line after World War II. Parts of the planned autobahn from Berlin to Königsberg (the Berlinka ) were completed as far as Stettin ( Szczecin ) on 27 September 1936. After the war, they were incorporated as the A6 autostrada of the Polish motorway network . A single-carriageway section of the Berlinka east of the former " Polish Corridor " and the Free City of Danzig opened in 1938; today it forms

4674-407: The lane count of many of its major arterial routes, such as the A 5 in the southwest and A 8 going east–west. Most sections of Germany's autobahns have two or three, sometimes four lanes in each direction in addition to an emergency lane ( hard shoulder ). A few sections have only two lanes in each direction without emergency lanes, and short slip-roads and ramps. The motorway density in Germany

4756-621: The next year, today part of the Polish A18 autostrada . After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia , plans for a motorway connecting Breslau with Vienna via Brno (Brünn) in the " Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia " were carried out from 1939 until construction works discontinued in 1942. A section of the former Strecke 88 near Brno is today part of the D52 motorway of the Czech Republic. Also, there

4838-775: The number of traffic deaths back to pre-unification levels after a decade of effort while traffic regulations were conformed to western standards (e.g., 130 km/h (81 mph) freeway advisory limit, 100 km/h (62 mph) on other rural roads, and 0.05 percent BAC ). In 1993, the Social Democratic-Green Party coalition controlling the State of Hesse experimented with a 90 km/h (56 mph) limit on autobahns and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads. These limits were attempts to reduce ozone pollution . Grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering ), grade separation

4920-423: The opening, availability of high-powered vehicles and a 54% increase in motorized traffic led to a doubling of annual traffic deaths, despite "interim arrangements [which] involved the continuation of the speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns and of 80 km/h (50 mph) outside cities". An extensive program of the four E s (enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency response ) brought

5002-574: The outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939. During World War II, many of Germany's workers were required for various war production tasks. Therefore, construction work on the autobahn system increasingly relied on forced workers and concentration camp inmates, and working conditions were very poor. As of 1942, when the war turned against the Third Reich , only 3,800 km (2,400 mi) out of

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5084-536: The previous junction. This situation is most prevalent either where the junction designer has placed the on-slip to the road before the off-slip at a junction (for example, the cloverleaf interchange ), or in urban areas with many close-spaced junctions. The ring road of Coventry , England , is a notorious example, as are parts of the southern M25, the London orbital motorway , the M6/M5 junction north-west of Birmingham , and

5166-445: The remaining original Reichsautobahn , a section of A 11 northeast of Berlin near Gartz built in 1936—the westernmost remainder of the never-finished Berlinka — was scheduled for replacement around 2015. Roadway condition is described as "deplorable"; the 25 metres (82 ft)-long concrete slabs, too long for proper expansion, are cracking under the weight of the traffic as well as the weather. Germany's autobahn network has

5248-541: The rest of the road network are usually closed to general traffic. Apart from rare exceptions, the autobahn must not be left nor entered at rest areas. Truck stops (German Autohof ( German: [ˈaʊ̯toˌhoːf] ), plural Autohöfe ( German: [ˈaʊ̯toˌhøːfə] )) are large filling stations located at general exits, usually at a small distance from the autobahn, combined with fast food facilities and/or restaurants, but have no ramps of their own. They mostly sell fuel at normal price level while

5330-589: The road network was based on the Reichsautobahn of Nazi-Germany just like in West Germany, and thus were in a good state. Speed limit violations on the autobahns of the GDR were rare because most cars had not the engine power to go much faster than the set limit. For example, the most common car of the GDR, the Trabant , could reach a maximum of only 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph). The last 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of

5412-540: The safe operation of high-speed lines. The construction of new level crossings is generally not permitted, especially for high speed railway lines and level crossings are increasingly less common due to the increase of both road and rail traffic. Efforts to remove level crossings are done in the UK by Network Rail and in Melbourne as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project . The London Extension of

5494-721: The same gauge, the most complicated grade-separation railpoint is found at Liubotyn in Ukraine . Footbridges and subways (called underpasses in North America as well as in the United Kingdom when referring to roads) may be employed to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross busy or fast streets. They are often used over and under motorways since at grade pedestrian crossings are generally not permitted. Same can be said for railways. Though introduced to Central Park in New York City in

5576-413: The same numbers as trains could, and the autobahns could not be used by tanks as their weight and caterpillar tracks damaged the road surface. The general shortage of petrol in Germany during much of the war, as well as the low number of trucks and motor vehicles needed for direct support of military operations, further decreased the autobahn's significance. As a result, most military and economic freight

5658-469: The smoking ban in restaurants." The Weimar Republic had no federally required speed limits. The first crossroads-free road for motorized vehicles only, now A 555 between Bonn and Cologne, had a 120 km/h (75 mph) limit when it opened in 1932. In October 1939, the Nazis instituted the first national maximum speed limit, throttling speeds to 80 km/h (50 mph) in order to conserve gasoline for

5740-442: The supply chain for construction equipment, steel, concrete, signage, maintenance equipment, etc. In rural areas, new camps to house the workers were built near construction sites. The job creation program aspect was not especially important because full employment was almost reached by 1936. However, according to one source autobahn workers were often conscripted through the compulsory Reich Labor Service (and thereby removed from

5822-400: The tightly grouped nest of flying junctions to the north of Clapham Junction railway station —although technically a combination of many junctions—handle more than 4,000 trains per day (about one train every 15 seconds). Virtually all major railway lines no longer cross (forming an 'X' shape ) at flat level (although many diverge - i.e. 'Y' shape). On almost all high-speed railway lines,

5904-414: The total length of the German autobahn network has no speed limit, about one third has a permanent limit, and the remaining parts have a temporary or conditional limit. Some cars with very powerful engines can reach speeds of well over 300 km/h (190 mph). Major German car manufacturers, except Porsche , follow a gentlemen's agreement by electronically limiting the top speeds of their cars—with

5986-537: The traffic already on the roundabout wishing to use the M6 Westbound on-slip. This is as a result of the slip roads on the west side of the junction connecting to the roundabout on the inside of the eastern arc rather than the outside of the western arc as is normal. The two slip-roads are connected by a single lane on the inside of the roundabout, which traffic wishing to use the Westbound on-slip must join, and traffic from

6068-438: The unemployment registry). The autobahns were not primarily intended as major infrastructure improvement of special value to the military as sometimes stated. Their military value was limited as all large-scale military transportation in Germany was done by train to save fuel. The propaganda ministry turned the construction of the autobahns into a major media event that attracted international attention. The autobahns formed

6150-678: The valley. Wipptal was politically and culturally united in the County of Tyrol and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen up to the Treaty of St Germain in 1920. [REDACTED] Media related to Wipptal (Tyrol) at Wikimedia Commons 47°00′N 11°30′E  /  47°N 11.5°E  / 47; 11.5 Autobahn The Autobahn ( IPA: [ˈaʊtoˌbaːn] ; German pl.   Autobahnen , pronounced [ˈaʊ̯toˌbaːnən] )

6232-543: The war effort. After the war, the four Allied occupation zones established their own speed limits until the divided East German and West German republics were constituted in 1949; initially, the Nazi speed limits were restored in both East and West Germany. In December 1952 the West German legislature voted to abolish all national speed limits , reverting to State-level decisions. National limits were reestablished incrementally. The 50 km/h (31 mph) urban limit

6314-491: The war. During the 1950s, the West German government restarted the construction program. It invested in new sections and in improvements to older ones. Finishing the incomplete sections took longer, with some stretches opened to traffic by the 1980s. Some sections cut by the Iron Curtain in 1945 were only completed after German reunification in 1990. Others were never completed, as more advantageous routes were found. An example

6396-565: The world without blanket speed limits for cars and motorcycles. As such, they are important German cultural identifiers, "often mentioned in hushed, reverential tones by motoring enthusiasts and looked at with a mix of awe and terror by outsiders." Some speed limits are implemented on different autobahns. Certain limits are imposed on some classes of vehicles: Additionally, speed limits are posted at most on- and off-ramps and interchanges and other danger points like sections under construction or in need of repair. Where no general limit exists,

6478-446: Was approximately 160 km/h (99 mph) in flat country but lower design speeds were used in hilly or mountainous terrain. A flat-country autobahn that was constructed to meet standards during the Nazi period could support speeds of up to 150 km/h (93 mph) on curves. The current autobahn numbering system in use in Germany was introduced in 1974. All autobahns are named by using

6560-402: Was carried by rail. After the war, numerous sections of the autobahns were in bad shape, severely damaged by heavy Allied bombing and military demolition. Furthermore, thousands of kilometres of autobahns remained unfinished, their construction brought to a halt by 1943 due to the increasing demands of the war effort. In West Germany (FRG), most existing autobahns were repaired soon after

6642-556: Was controlled by conservative parties , successfully resisted the imposition of a permanent mandatory limit supported by Chancellor Brandt . The upper house insisted on a 130 km/h (81 mph) recommended limit until a thorough study of the effects of a mandatory limit could be conducted. Accordingly, the Federal Highway Research Institute conducted a multiple-year experiment, switching between mandatory and recommended limits on two test stretches of autobahn. In

6724-452: Was enacted in 1956, effective in 1957. The 100 km/h (62 mph) limit on rural roads—except autobahns—became effective in 1972. Just prior to the 1973 oil crisis , Germany, Switzerland, and Austria all had no general speed restriction on autobahns. During the crisis, like other nations, Germany imposed temporary speed restrictions; for example, 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns effective 13 November 1973. Automakers projected

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