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Hitler's 70km ghost highway, from project to relic ruins

2026-06-07 15:47:00, Kuriozitete CNA

Hitler's 70km ghost highway, from project to relic ruins

Route 46 is 70 kilometers long and is considered the longest officially registered highway ruin in Germany. Today it is nothing more than a relic, reminiscent of a major Nazi-era project that was started just before World War II and was never completed.

The highway runs between Bad Hersfeld and Würzburg. The route was shaped less by considerations of efficiency than by Nazi ideology and construction propaganda. It was intended to show drivers the beauty of the German homeland. Scenic highlights would include, for example, the ruins of Homburg Castle.

Originally, the long section was planned as a north-south connection through the southern Rhön and Spessart. Initial construction work began in 1937, involving a large number of workers and the latest construction machinery.

Hitler's 70km ghost highway, from project to relic ruins

On October 4, 1939, work on the highway stopped. World War II was approaching and militarization was now the priority.

A particularly impressive structure is the long viaduct near Schonderfeld on the Franconian Saale. Along the route there are also some typical constructions from the 1930s, such as arched canals built of stone and tunnel portals made of natural stone. From a technical point of view, the project followed the standards of the Reich motorway network of the time.

After 1945, construction was not resumed, partly because the route was impractical, being too narrow in places and featuring steep gradients, and partly because the Federal Republic set new priorities in transport planning. Instead, the A7 was built as a north-south axis through Hesse and northern Bavaria.

Hitler's 70km ghost highway, from project to relic ruins

Route 46 has been a listed monument since 2003. It is considered the longest continuously preserved section of a motorway route in Europe that was never completed or opened to traffic.

The former route is now firmly integrated into the landscape and in some places provides a habitat for flora and fauna, as well as a path for walkers.





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