7 facts about the A7 motorway

At around 962 kilometres, the A7 is the longest motorway in Germany and also the second-longest national motorway in Europe. It runs from the Danish border at Handewitt near Flensburg, passes through six states and ends at Füssen on the border with Austria.

The route known as the "Northern Axis," between the Danish border and Hamburg, was constructed in the late 1960s and 1970s. Before this, the route was simply a network of multiple state roads. Decisive factors were an international treaty between Germany and Denmark that aimed to create a motorway connection between the two countries, as well as the upcoming 1972 Olympic Games in Kiel.

Here are two interesting videos about construction of the A7 in Schleswig-Holstein:

On 26 December 1974, the Elbtunnel in Hamburg was officially opened, at the time “Europe’s largest underwater motorway." Over the construction period, which lasted 6.5 years, 500 million German marks were spent. For the grand opening, residents of Hamburg got the chance to walk through the tunnel on foot during a 5-day public celebration.

Here is an interesting video on the topic:

The "Hochstraße Elbmarsch" has received less limelight – but with a length of 3.84 kilometres, it is the longest road bridge in Germany. On the south side of the Elbtunnel, it passes through the Hamburg Harbour on stilts, affording a unique view of containers, loading cranes and ocean liners.

In 1972, the A7 motorway near Hasloh was the site of a dramatic emergency landing. A chartered plane of the model British Aerospace 1‑11 burst into flames shortly after taking off from Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel, after which the engines exploded. During the landing, the plane crashed against a bridge pillar. 22 people lost their lives, but the daring manoeuvre saved the lives of the remaining 99 passengers.

Here is a detailed article about the incident:
www.ndr.de/geschichte/schauplaetze/1971-Notlandung-auf-Autobahn-7-misslingt,flugzeugabsturz135.html

From 2014 to 2019, the A7 was expanded to six lanes between Hamburg and Bordesholm over a distance of 65 kilometres. This construction is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Germany. 73 bridge structures, 12 kilometres of noise barriers and ten service stations were also renovated or newly constructed in the process.

Showcase structures particularly include the three motorway covers in Schnelsen, Stellingen and Altona. Over noise protection tunnels with a length of up to 2.2 kilometres, park and small garden areas are being created to reunited the formerly separated districts of Hamburg.

Here is an interesting video on the topic:

During the A7 expansion, two wildlife crossings were constructed for wild animals at Brokenlande and Bad Bramstedt. Deer, hedgehogs and other animals can cross the motorway on protected 62-metre-wide corridors. In early 2020, insect researchers even discovered a rare, endangered ground beetle on one of the bridges: Harpalus flavescens!