Munich Autobahn widening now commencing

Preparation work is starting on a widening project for the A99 Autobahn, which runs around the city of Munich in the southern German state of Bavaria. The project will see the A99 being widened from its current six lanes to eight lanes on the north side of the city, between the junctions with the A9 and A92 Autobahn routes. This stretch of the A99 is close to the Allianz Arena as well as the city’s international airport and frequently suffers heavy congestion at peak periods of the day as well as from tourist traffic and during sports events. Construction activity will commence in the second quarter of 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2019. Widening this section of the A99 is expected to cost in the order of €153 million, which is higher than originally estimated due to the need to upgrade or rebuild a number of bridge crossings. Plans have been drawn up for widening the entire A99 as congestion can cause delays all along the route, particularly in summer months when there is heavy north and southbound tourist traffic passing around Munich. Widening the entire 53.5km length of the A99 is expected to cost in the region of €400 million to carry out. Much of the A99 was built in the 1970s with further sections in the north and west opening in 2009. However the ring remains incomplete as the final section in the south of Munich has been the topic of much debate.