Permanent closure of the Saar Bridge in Mettlach: trucks have to go around!

Permanent closure of the Saar Bridge in Mettlach: trucks have to go around!

The Saar Bridge in Mettlach remains permanently closed to heavy vehicles. This was recently reported by Saarbrücken newspaper reported. The State Office for Road Construction (LfS) is planning a permanent solution for signage to increase traffic safety.
Temporary signs will be replaced by stationary ones, while the restriction on vehicles over 3.5 tons will remain in place.

Medium-sized vans and heavier vehicles continue to be unable to drive directly over the bridge, which results in significant detours and has sparked discussions in the community for months. The LfS has already taken measures to designate diversion routes for trucks and buses in order to mitigate the effects of the closure.

Details about signage and traffic situation

The new traffic signage measures are planned for the period from mid-June to the end of July 2025. The content of the new signage and the traffic routing remain unchanged, like that Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Mobility, Agriculture and Consumer Protection communicates. Until the bridge is repaired, traffic flow will be restricted as the permissible traffic load was reduced to 3.5 tons in June 2024.

The bridge was closed to heavy goods traffic over 7.5 tons in March 2021 after irregularities were discovered in the structure. A temporary bridge is being planned to be built in order to find a longer-term solution.

Diversions for heavy traffic

The diversions in force are as follows: Heavy traffic will be diverted from Mettlach in the direction of Keuchingen via the B 51 to Besseringen and via the Merzig-Schwemlingen junction (5) to the A 8 in the direction of Luxembourg. From there the route leads to Merzig-Wellingen (4). In addition, diversions via Wehingen, Tünsdorf and Orscholz to Keuchingen are planned. On the return journey, the diversions apply in reverse.

These comprehensive measures show that the authorities are working intensively to improve traffic safety and the infrastructure of the Saarbrücken. The ongoing restrictions not only affect traffic in the area, but also pose a challenge for local residents who have to deal with the diversions and the additional travel times that come with them.

For further information, those affected can contact the press office of the State Road Construction Office.