# Bundesautobahn 71

Bundesautobahn 71 (translates from German as Federal Motorway 71, short form Autobahn 71, abbreviated as BAB 71 or A 71) is an Autobahn in Germany. It connects the A 38 and Erfurt to the A 70 near Schweinfurt. A further northern extension to the A 14 near Plötzkau has been proposed by the state government of Sachsen-Anhalt.
Construction on the A 71, supervised by DEGES, began in 1996, most parts were being opened by December 2005. The project was completed in September 2015. The section through the Thuringian Forest was the most expensive road ever built in Germany with an average cost of €10 million per kilometre (€16,000,000/mi). This section includes the Rennsteig Tunnel which is the longest road tunnel in Germany at 8 km (5.0 mi) and is called "Thüringer wald Autobahn" (Thuringian Forest Motorway).

## Exit list

| (1) | Südharz 3-way interchange A 38 |
| (2) | Artern |
| (3) | Heldrungen |
| | Schmücketunnel 1725m/5660ft |
| (4) | Kölleda |
| | Rest area Leubinger Fürtsenhügel (under construction) |
| (5) | Sömmerda-Ost B 176 |
| (6) | Sömmerda-Süd |
| (7) | Erfurt-Nord B 7 |
| (8) | Erfurt-Stotternheim |
| (9) | Erfurt-Mittelhausen |
| (10) | Erfurt-Gispersleben B 4 |
| (11) | Erfurt-Bindersleben B 7 |
| | Talbrücke Apfelstädt |
| (12) | Erfurt 4-way interchange A 4 |
| (13) | Arnstadt-Nord |
| (14) | Arnstadt-Süd |
| | Tunnel Behringen |
| | Wipfratalbrücke |
| | Stadtilm (under construction) B 90 |
| (15) | Ilmenau-Ost B 88 |
| | Talbrücke Altwipfergrund |
| | Talbrücke Streichgrund |
| (16) | Ilmenau-West |
| | Talbrücke Reichenbach |
| | Talbrücke Zahme Gera |
| | Services Thüringer Wald |
| (17) | Gräfenroda B 88 |
| | Tunnel Alte Burg |
| | Talbrücke Schwarzbachtal |
| | Talbrücke Wilde Gera |
| | Rennsteigtunnel |
| (18) | Oberhof |
| | Tunnel Hochwald |
| (19) | Suhl/Zella-Mehlis B 62 |
| | Talbrücke Steinatal |
| | Tunnel Berg Bock |
| (20) | Suhl 3-way interchange A 73 |
| | Talbrücke Albrechtsgraben |
| | Talbrücke Seßlerstal |
| | Talbrücke Schafstalgrund |
| | Talbrücke Streitschlag |
| | Talbrücke Schwarza |
| | Talbrücke Rotes Tal |
| | Talbrücke Schindgraben (stone quarry) |
| (21) | Meiningen-Nord B 19 |
| | Talbrücke Judental |
| | Talbrücke Haseltal |
| | Talbrücke Werratal |
| (22) | Meiningen-Süd B 89 |
| | Tunnel Eichelberg |
| | Talbrücke Jüchsen |
| | Talbrücke Bibra |
| (23) | Rentwertshausen |
| | Services Mellrichstadt |
| (24) | Mellrichstadt B 285 |
| | Bahratalbrücke |
| | Saaletalbrücke |
| (25) | Bad Neustadt B 279 |
| (26) | Münnerstadt B 287 |
| | Lautertalbrücke |
| (27) | Maßbach |
| | Thalwassertalbrücke |
| (28) | Bad Kissingen B 286 |
| | Talbrücke Pfersdorf |
| | Talbrücke Maibach |
| (29) | Poppenhausen B 286 |
| | Wernbrücke Kronungen |
| (30) | Schweinfurt-West B 303 |
| | Wernbrücke Geldersheim |
| (31) | Dreieck Werntal A 70 |

## Characteristics
### Buildings at Thuringian forest

While crossing the Thuringian Forest are a lot of large engineering works needed, the most notable are listed in the table below.
| km | mi | building | length | max. height |
| 92,5 | 575 | Behringen Tunnel | 465 metres (1,526 ft) | |
| 94,0 | 580 | Wipfra viaduct | 176 metres (577 ft) | 15 metres (49 ft) |
| 101,5 | 631 | Altwipfergrund viaduct | 278 metres (912 ft) | 35 metres (115 ft) |
| 102,5 | 637 | Streichgrund viaduct | 449 metres (1,473 ft) 450 metres (1,480 ft) | 28 metres (92 ft) |
| 107,0 | 660 | Reichenbach viaduct | 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) | 60 metres (200 ft) |
| 108,5 | 674 | Zahme Gera viaduct | 520 metres (1,710 ft) | 63 metres (207 ft) |
| 112,0 | 700 | Alte Burg Tunnel | 874 metres (2,867 ft) 866 metres (2,841 ft) | |
| 113,5 | 705 | Schwarzbachtal viaduct | 352 metres (1,155 ft) 322 metres (1,056 ft) | 71 metres (233 ft) |
| 114,0 | 710 | Wilde Gera viaduct | 552 metres (1,811 ft) | 110 metres (360 ft) |
| 114,5 | 711 | Rennsteig Tunnel | 7,916 metres (25,971 ft) 7,878 metres (25,846 ft) | |
| 123,5 | 767 | Hochwald Tunnel | 1,056 metres (3,465 ft) | |
| 126,0 | 780 | Steinatal viaduct | 445 metres (1,460 ft) | 20 metres (66 ft) |
| 126,5 | 786 | Berg Bock Tunnel | 2,738 metres (8,983 ft) 2,718 metres (8,917 ft) | |
| 131,0 | 810 | Albrechtsgraben viaduct | 770 metres (2,530 ft) | 80 metres (260 ft) |
| 133,5 | 830 | Seßlestal viaduct | 320 metres (1,050 ft) | 53 metres (174 ft) |
| 135,0 | 840 | Schafstalgrund viaduct | 525 metres (1,722 ft) | 61 metres (200 ft) |
| 137,0 | 850 | Streitschlag viaduct | 256 metres (840 ft) | 33 metres (108 ft) |
| 140,0 | 870 | Schwarza viaduct | 675 metres (2,215 ft) | 68 metres (223 ft) |
| 142,0 | 880 | Rotes Tal viaduct | 406 metres (1,332 ft) | 19 metres (62 ft) |
| 144,0 | 890 | Schindgraben viaduct (stone quarry) | 464 metres (1,522 ft) | 55 metres (180 ft) |
| 145,0 | 900 | Judental viaduct | 456 metres (1,496 ft) | 45 metres (148 ft) |
| 147,0 | 910 | Haseltal viaduct | 724 metres (2,375 ft) 714 metres (2,343 ft) | 22 metres (72 ft) |
| 149,8 | 931 | Werratal viaduct | 1,194 metres (3,917 ft) | 34 metres (112 ft) |
| 152,5 | 948 | Eichelberg Tunnel | 1,097 metres (3,599 ft) 1,123 metres (3,684 ft) | |
| 153,5 | 954 | Jüchsen viaduct | 369 metres (1,211 ft) | 25 metres (82 ft) |

### Records

* Wilde Gera viaduct: with 252 m (827 ft) span length the largest Arch bridge in Germany, convicted by a street
* Rennsteig Tunnel: with 7,916 metres (25,971 ft) the longest Tunnel in Germany, and the fourth longest Tunnel with two parallel tubes in Europe

## Gallery

* A 71 crossing the Wipfratal, rightwards the Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway and their gate to the Sandberg Tunnel
* Werratal viaduct near the exit Meiningen-Süd, the longest bridge of the A 71 with a length of 1,194 m (3,917 ft)
* Bibra viaduct between Rentwertshausen and Queienfeld
* Heldrungen exit in the direction of Tunnel Schmücke ; Opened in September 2009