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WWII Bomb Neutralized Beside A59 Near Cologne, Reopening Awaits Cleanup

A controlled detonation ended the threat, with the motorway kept closed for cleaning and damage checks.

Overview

  • Workers uncovered a 5‑zentner device with a long‑delay fuze between the Spich and Lind interchanges during surveying.
  • Police shut the A59 in both directions near the Cologne/Bonn Airport corridor, with ADAC reporting delays and wide detours.
  • Specialized ordnance teams from the Düsseldorf regional service and Cologne’s public order office led the operation with a roughly 400‑meter safety zone.
  • Crews delivered about 60 tonnes of sand to dampen the blast, and the bomb was detonated at about 15:30 local time.
  • Evacuation covered commercial sites including an Amazon facility but no residential areas, and restrictions outside the motorway are now being lifted.