Mauritz bypass trough

The bypass has been in place since the 1960s. As early as 1965, the traffic load was so heavy that it became necessary to relieve it. The expansion was carried out in several construction phases: The first sections were completed between 1990 and 2001. The third section has been under construction since 2015. In addition, the route is being extended northwards as federal highway 481 (B481).

The expansion was necessary as the existing two-lane carriageway was no longer sufficient. This led to considerable noise nuisance for local residents and a shift in traffic to neighboring residential areas.

The total length of the route is 6.2 kilometers. In the course of the expansion, 17 new bridges, three trough structures and 5.6 kilometers of noise barriers will be built. This results in a total investment of around 210 million euros.

The next goal is to complete the work on the 900-metre-long trough structure in 2026 so that the construction section can be opened to traffic.

The four-lane expansion of the B51 over a length of 2.6 kilometers and the new construction of the B481 over 4.6 kilometers, including the connection to the L587 (Schifffahrter Damm), will create a continuous south-east bypass for the city of Münster.

The new traffic routing creates an efficient connection from the Münster junction to the A1 Greven junction. This is also suitable for future traffic loads and relieves the residential areas and the urban road network.