Overview
- ADAC expects one of the year’s worst traffic days on Thursday as commuter flows collide with May Day trips, with most routes easing on the holiday and over the weekend.
- Hotspots flagged in NRW include the A1, A2 and A3, with heavy pressure likely at Oberhausen/Duisburg on the A3/A40, the A43 near Bochum/Herne/Recklinghausen, the Kamener Kreuz, and the A46 through Wuppertal.
- Construction will slow routes to the Netherlands, with major delays forecast at Kreuz Kaiserberg and on the A57 between Krefeld and Meerbusch, plus extra volume expected as Dutch school holidays end.
- ADAC recommends avoiding 1 pm to 6 pm on Thursday and starting around 6–7 pm or waiting until Friday morning for a smoother trip; leaving the autobahn for country roads rarely saves time.
- Bundespolizei NRW is running mobile checks up to 30 kilometers inside the border area focused on entry to Germany, which could lengthen return trips for travelers after the long weekend.