Ever wondered where Germany’s autobahn history began? The A 5 Darmstadt – Frankfurt [positive] holds a key to that story. This isn’t just any highway. It’s a stretch of road with a past.
We are standing at a significant point on the A 5 Darmstadt – Frankfurt [positive]. This section marks part of the first Autobahn construction. Work began in 1933. Adolf Hitler himself initiated the project. Propaganda at the time called it “the Führer’s Autobahn”. It was also known as “Germany’s first Autobahn”. These claims were not entirely true. The AVUS race track in Berlin predated it. Also, the Cologne-Bonn highway opened earlier. To emphasize Nazi achievements, the Cologne-Bonn highway was downgraded. This allowed the Frankfurt-Darmstadt Autobahn to be proclaimed the first.
Before Hitler, a private group planned a highway from Hamburg to Basel. This was in 1926. It was called HaFraBa. Communists and Nazis in the Reichstag stopped these plans. When Hitler gained power in 1933, he used these earlier plans. However, progress was slow. Hitler prioritized east-west routes instead. The HaFraBa was renamed. It became the “Company for the preparation of the Reich highways”.
After World War II, northern extensions of the A 5 were scrapped. This was due to ecological concerns. Instead, a completed section of the A 48 near Gießen was used. This connected the A 5 to the A 7 from Hamburg. The original HaFraBa route was completed in 1962. This created the A 5’s southern route. It runs from Darmstadt through Heidelberg and Karlsruhe. It continues to Rastatt, Baden-Baden, and Freiburg. The route ends near Basel at the Swiss border. There it connects to the Bundesautobahn 98 and B3.
Near Frankfurt, the A 5 is extremely busy. It sees about 150,000 vehicles each day. The section between Frankfurt and Darmstadt is about 25 km long. It is Germany’s longest Autobahn section with eight lanes. The A 5 runs parallel to the Bundesstraße 3 for many kilometers. It crosses the B3 near Rastatt. In Karlsruhe, the A 5 meets the A 8.
In May 2019, a 10 km section south of Frankfurt was fitted with overhead lines. These lines were for hybrid trucks. Siemens built the lines. Scania AB provided the trucks.
The A 5 Darmstadt – Frankfurt [positive] is more than just a road. It represents a complex history. It shows early Autobahn construction. It reflects political agendas. It highlights post-war planning. And now, it embraces modern technology with hybrid truck lines. As we continue our journey, remember the layers of history beneath our wheels.