Host Nation Update, March 5, 2026
Closure on Eugen-Bolz-Straße in Böblingen
Eugen-Bolz-Straße in Böblingen will be completely closed between Diezenhaldenweg and the junction with Tübinger Straße at Diezenhaldenweg 4 from Monday, March 9, until Friday, March 13.
According to the city of Böblingen, the closure is due to sewer connection work. A diversion will be signposted via Freiburger Allee, Schönbuchstraße, Tübinger Straße, and Eugen-Bolz-Straße. Safe passage for pedestrians will be ensured at all times.
City bus line 701 is also affected by the construction site. It will not be able to stop at Diezenhaldenweg in the direction of Böblingen ZOB/Eichholz. Passengers are asked to use the Schönbuchstraße or Tübinger Straße stops as alternatives.
(Kreiszeitung BB Bote, March 5, 2026)
Do controversial speed cameras on Panzerstraße in Böblingen really improve safety?
The two new speed cameras on Panzerstraße in Böblingen, between Panzer Kaserne and the mineral spa, continue to be a topic of discussion among our readers. A driver from Schönaich who contacted the editorial office said that speed cameras were frequently used there – in other words, that drivers often had to pay fines. Is he right? According to data from the navigation system manufacturer TomTom, the technology is installed in every fourth car. TomTom can use the data generated in this way to evaluate how fast people are driving on individual sections of road. Our editorial team has access to highly detailed data.
According to this data, since the speed cameras were put into operation, drivers in both directions have been braking heavily a few meters before the devices – only to accelerate again immediately afterwards. This is “a normal pattern,” says Gianluca Biela, spokesperson for the city of Böblingen.
Nevertheless, the details are interesting: Drivers slow down more in the direction of Böblingen than in the direction of Stuttgart. In this direction, the speed of drivers is still lower several hundred meters after the speed camera than it was before it was installed. At the beginning of the long, straight section of Panzerstraße, cars now drive up to 10 kilometers per hour slower than before the speed cameras were put into operation. This effect is slightly less pronounced in the direction of Stuttgart. The section of the route marked in red on the map shows that, since the two speed cameras were installed, drivers heading towards Böblingen have been driving around one kilometer per hour faster on average before slowing down for the speed cameras.
This could be due to the fact that the speed camera in the direction of Böblingen is visible a little later, as well as the unchanged speed at this point in the other direction. Or it could be that drivers are trying to get through the traffic lights despite the speed camera.
So is the person from Schönaich right? The TomTom data shows that cars travel fastest in both directions between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. – slightly faster in the direction of Böblingen at an average of 48 km/h than in the direction of Stuttgart (51 km/h). So when the speed cameras are triggered, it is more likely to be at this time. And the data proves even more: Today, only 15 percent of cars drive faster than 52 km/h in both directions at the crosswalk where the speed cameras are located, as a graph shows.
Drivers used to speed before the speed cameras were installed. In other words, 85 percent of drivers now adhere to the speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour— with a tolerance of 3 kilometers per hour, as specified by the ADAC. This means that even at night, less than 15 percent of drivers are likely to be caught by speed cameras.
By way of comparison, before the speed cameras were installed, 15 percent of cars traveling toward Stuttgart were driving faster than 69 km/h and those traveling toward Böblingen were driving faster than 66 km/h.
However, there are currently no plans to install any additional speed cameras on Panzerstraße.
(Kreiszeitung BB Bote, March 5, 2026)
How long will the A81 near Leonberg remain closed?
Commuters in the greater Stuttgart area and long-distance traffic are likely to face a few challenging weeks: Following a fire in a truck trailer in the Engelberg Tunnel near Leonberg on Tuesday afternoon, the A81 between the Stuttgart-Feuerbach junction and the Leonberg interchange is closed.
Motorists traveling from Heilbronn towards Leonberg have since had to put up with diversions and delays of up to an hour. And that is unlikely to change for the time being. Initially, there was frequent talk on social media of a closure until the beginning of April. However, the responsible Autobahn GmbH has now announced that it is not yet possible to give any information on the time frame. The closure will remain in place for an indefinite period on this busy route.
On Tuesday afternoon, the trailer of a semi-truck caught fire at the north portal of the Engelberg Tunnel near Leonberg and burned completely. Two people were taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation; they are believed to be the crew of the destroyed truck.
The flames destroyed around 300 meters of safety equipment and lights, charred cables, and melted signs. The concrete on the tunnel ceiling cracked, although—which Autobahn GmbH considers good news—the tunnel structure itself was only superficially affected.
For traffic to flow again through the affected tube of the Engelberg Tunnel, all of the safety equipment that was damaged by the fire must be replaced. This is mandatory, according to Autobahn GmbH.
“Experts are currently in the tunnel to assess what needs to be done,” the statement continues. “Autobahn GmbH will install this operating technology as soon as the necessary replacement parts are available.”
(Kreiszeitung BB Bote, March 5, 2026)
Engelberg Tunnel partially reopened after fire, westbound likely to close for weeks
The A81 Autobahn is once again open to traffic in one direction following a fire in the Engelberg Tunnel west of Stuttgart that destroyed several hundred meters of operating technology.
The east tunnel was reopened in the early hours of the morning at around 5 a.m., according to a police spokesperson, after a tractor trailer loaded with refrigerators burned out in the busy tunnel causing it to be closed down in both directions. The west tunnel is likely to remain closed for weeks due to extensive damage.
Drivers coming from Munich/Karlsruhe may use the east tunnel in both lanes towards Heilbronn. However, the Karlsruhe junction towards Heilbronn remains closed so drivers coming from Karlsruhe are being diverted to the Munich junction. Drivers coming from Heilbronn are being diverted at the Stuttgart-Feuerbach junction until further notice and should expect longer driving times.
Two people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to the hospital. According to reports, around 30 other people affected were treated by emergency services.
According to a police spokeswoman, initial estimates indicate that the west tunnel will remain closed until the beginning of April.
(Kreiszeitung BB Bote, March 4, 2026)
Construction on A81 between Sindelfingen and Böblingen nears halfway point
The halfway point in the expansion of the A81 Autobahn between Sindelfingen-Ost and Böblingen-Hulb is almost in sight. Deges (Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH), which is managing the project on behalf of the federal government, is confident that the lane towards Stuttgart will be completed in the fall. It will then be able to concentrate on the lane towards Singen. The cost estimate for the mega-renovation, largely carried out while traffic continues to flow, currently stands at almost half a billion euros.
In the coming months, drivers in Böblingen and Sindelfingen will once again have to prepare for restrictions and closures. In addition to the highway itself, this will primarily affect Rudolf-Diesel-Straße in Sindelfingen and Wolfgang-Brumme-Allee in Böblingen. The Autobahn entrance and exit on Flugfeld-Allee, which was only relocated last year, will also have to be closed for several weeks. Dornierstraße on the Hulb will probably remain closed after already being closed for a year until the underpass there is completed.
Whether it is worth the effort to open the underpass between the completion of the first half of the bridge and the demolition of the second half is a decision that must be made by the city of Böblingen, says project manager Johannes Kuhn.
Since the beginning of March, Deges has narrowed Rudolf-Diesel-Straße in Sindelfingen to one lane in each direction. As work will be carried out at various locations along Rudolf-Diesel-Straße and Wolfgang-Brumme-Allee over the coming months, motorists will only have one lane in each direction at their disposal during this period.
This is partly due to the reconstruction of the junction at Motorworld, which is scheduled to begin in mid-March. It is also due to the construction of the new bridge over the A81 at this location. Since the original overpass connecting the neighboring cities close to the city center was demolished last August, a temporary bridge has been in place between Böblingen and Sindelfingen and vice versa.
By August 2026, the new structure should be completed to the extent that traffic can travel on the lane towards Sindelfingen. There, both directions of traffic will then have to share the bridge. There is currently no space for the second part of the bridge.
(Kreiszeitung BB Bote, March 4, 2026)
Two closures of the A81 planned before summer holidays
The A81 Autobahn is expected to be closed the second weekend in May so that bridge girders can be lifted into place as part of the construction of abutments for a new bridge. To prepare for this step, a huge tent will be erected next to the highway in mid-March.
As soon as the temporary bridge is no longer needed it will be dismantled immediately to make room for further construction work. The highway will also have to be closed temporarily for the dismantling work.
The ramp towards Stuttgart and the exit from Singen on Flugfeld-Allee will be closed for a longer period sometime in April, likely following Easter holidays. This is because any unexploded ordnance from World War II must be sought out before the construction of the new roadway.
“However, it is unlikely that there are any,” says project manager Kuhn.
The embankment of the Murkenbach stream, which runs there, also needs to be reinforced. The north side of the Böblingen/Sindelfingen junction will remain open.
Despite all the closures, there is also some positive news. The underpass beneath the motorway on Tilsiter Straße in Sindelfingen opens at the end of March. Work is also progressing steadily on the two junctions Sindelfingen-Ost and Böblingen-Ost in the east of Sindelfingen.
The south side of the future Böblingen-Ost full junction has been open for some time. With the breakthrough, drivers from Sindelfingen will soon be able to reach the Böblingen side more directly – either straight ahead towards the thermal baths or towards Stuttgart on the highway.
(Kreiszeitung BB Bote, March 4, 2026)
Conflict in Iran drives up fuel prices
As a result of the conflict in Iran, fuel prices at German gas stations have risen further. The ADAC online price comparison site was temporarily overloaded. Politicians are discussing measures to curb prices.
The situation is causing fuel and heating oil prices to rise further. The rise of the past few days continued this morning, as data from the ADAC and Heizoel24 show. A spokesperson for the ADAC said that gasoline and diesel prices are expected to rise by a few cents more during the course of the day compared to Monday. At least, that is what the initial figures from this morning suggest.
Fuel prices had already risen sharply on Monday. The nationwide daily average for Super E10 was 1.839 euros per liter, 6.1 cents more than on Friday, the last day before the escalation in the Middle East. This was the highest figure since May 2024. Diesel rose by as much as seven cents to 1.816 euros, the highest figure since October 2023.
The reason for the further increase at gas stations and for heating oil is likely to be the oil price, which rose further due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In combination with the dollar exchange rate, this is typically the most important driver of changes in fuel and heating oil prices. If you want to save money when filling up, you should avoid the morning price peak and compare prices at different gas stations, advises the ADAC. Especially in times of crisis with a lot of movement, there can be big differences.
(Kreiszeitung BB Bote, March 4, 2026)