The A2 near Helmstedt has been open again since the evening of 10 November 2026 following a lorry fire. The trailer, which was carrying straw bales, caught fire in the morning between the junctions at Helmstedt-West and Rennau The driver was uninjured. The stretch was completely closed for several hours because of firefighting operations and damage to the carriageway.
According to Braunschweig Motorway Police said the fire broke out at around 6.55am. Firefighters and emergency services extinguished the trailer, which was completely destroyed. The motorway maintenance depot secured the scene and began temporary repairs that same day. Initial assessments found that around 250 square metres of the asphalt in the right-hand lane had been badly damaged, as had parts of the crash barriers.
Traffic was backed up for several kilometres at times. The Autobahn GmbH reported smoke and a complete closure of the stretch; a shuttle system was set up to supply water to the fire engines. The A2 was reopened towards evening. No reliable figures were initially available for the final damage to the vehicle. In an initial estimate, the motorway maintenance depot put the expected cost of resurfacing at between €50,000 and €80,000.
Police and experts are investigating the cause of the fire. So far, the evidence points to a technical fault with the vehicle. There was no indication of third-party involvement by the evening; police said they would examine the relevant evidence.
The A2 is one of northern Germany’s most important east–west routes. Full closures can quickly cause widespread tailbacks because of the high volume of traffic. Vehicle fires often damage the asphalt surface so badly that sections have to be replaced. In this case, the most urgent work began that same day to get the road open again. Further repairs to the carriageway and crash barriers may be carried out under traffic over the coming days.
Authorities and emergency services again urged motorists to keep an emergency corridor open in traffic jams and to follow warnings from traffic control centres. The Autobahn GmbH recommended that drivers familiar with the area use the secondary road network as a diversion while recovery and cleaning work was under way.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).