Der Bau des Westkreuzes im Zuge des sechsspurigen Ausbaus der A40 - Eine ingenieurtechnische Herausforderung

The construction of the Westkreuz during the extension of the A40 to six lanes

As a central traffic artery of the Ruhr Area, the A40 carries not just traffic beyond the region and transit transports, but also personal vehicles travelling between the Ruhr Area cities, as well as the inner-city traffic. The motorway network in the Bochum area has been at its upper limit with up to 100,000 vehicles daily for a long time. The widening of the A40 from four to six lanes and the direct connection to the Donezk ring (A448) in the Bochum-Stahlhausen area as well as the conversion of the Wattenscheider Straße are to increase the capacity for allowing enormous traffic to flow in this section. In order to not impact the tense traffic situation even more, the conversion and widening has to be carried out without obstructing the traffic. In addition to these circumstances, the tight space conditions in the Ruhr Area turn this measure into a technical and logistical challenge.