Construction site chaos in North Rhine-Westphalia: record traffic jams are driving commuters crazy!

Construction site chaos in North Rhine-Westphalia: record traffic jams are driving commuters crazy!

The roads in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have become a test of patience for drivers. Construction sites and traffic jams on the highways have increased significantly in recent months. According to the ADAC, around two thirds of the total 1,205 motorway construction sites in Germany are located in North Rhine-Westphalia, where only 17 percent of the nationwide motorway kilometers can be found. What is particularly worrying is the fact that there are now 743 construction sites on NRW motorways in May 2025 - an increase of 142 since May 2024. This number even exceeds the previous peak of 685 construction sites in November 2024.

ADAC expert Roman Suthold points out the urgent need to modernize the ailing motorway network and bridges. These measures not only make sense, but are also essential to improve the traffic situation in the long term. In April 2025, the total length of traffic jams on motorways increased by 26 percent to over 26,700 kilometers compared to the previous year, while the total duration of traffic jams increased by 20 percent to more than 15,400 hours.

Traffic jam statistics and main causes

The current traffic jam duration data is alarming: In May 2025 there were double-digit growth rates in traffic jam length of 15 percent and in traffic jam duration of 17 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. The 2024 traffic jam statistics show that road users in North Rhine-Westphalia were stuck in traffic jams for almost 155,000 hours, with the duration of traffic jams increasing by eight percent compared to 2023. The A3 between Cologne and Oberhausen was the route most affected.

In the entire year of 2024, the ADAC counted more than 172,000 traffic jams in North Rhine-Westphalia, which corresponds to a third of the total traffic jams in Germany. The traffic jam burden in North Rhine-Westphalia was almost 674,183 kilometers per hour - almost 14 percent more than in the previous year. Forecasts for 2025 suggest that construction sites will continue to cause significant congestion.

Recommendations and perspectives

In order to defuse the precarious traffic situation, the ADAC formulates five central demands. These include the introduction of mode-specific financing funds, the acceleration of planning and approval procedures and greater use of functional construction contracts. Better coordination of construction site measures and sustainable solutions for local public transport are also on the agenda.

The ADAC recommends commuters use flexible working hours to avoid peak times. Carpooling and using alternative public transport are also advised. Given the large number of construction sites, NRW remains the number one congestion area in Germany, with a clear prediction that congestion times in the coming years could potentially reach pre-corona pandemic levels.

The situation remains challenging for road users in North Rhine-Westphalia and effective measures are needed to address the traffic jam problem. While the ADAC and traffic experts are working on solutions, drivers have to prepare for longer journeys.

For more information on the latest statistics and developments, visit the articles on the South German newspaper and on the ADAC website.