Breakdown on the A1 near Cologne

What happens after you call?

Tell us your direction of travel and the last exit or interchange, for example the Cologne-Nord interchange or Köln-Lövenich. We'll tell you the price on the phone right away and send a partner who'll drive to you on the A1. In the Lövenich tunnel or on the Rhine bridge, tell us explicitly, since special rules apply there.

Interchanges and exits around Cologne

Between the Gleuel and Hürth exits is the Ville rest stop. Tell us your direction of travel, for example towards Dortmund or towards Euskirchen and Saarbrücken, and the last exit or interchange.

The Rhine bridge near Leverkusen

The A1 crosses the Rhine between the Leverkusen-West interchange and Köln-Niehl on the Leverkusen bridge, a cable-stayed bridge just over a kilometre long. Together with its approach viaducts, the bridge is one of the network's bottlenecks. Due to significant structural damage it's being replaced by a new bridge, one per direction; the old bridge was at times restricted to vehicles under 3.5 tonnes. Whether anything is currently closed or restricted can change, so check a traffic report before you drive. If you break down here, tell us whether you're before or past the bridge.

The noise-protection tunnel near Lövenich

Near Köln-Lövenich, the A1 runs for about 1.5 kilometres in a noise-protection enclosure, because housing extends right up to the motorway. That counts as a tunnel. If you break down there, behave as in any tunnel: hazard lights on, switch off the engine, leave the vehicle and head to the nearest emergency point, if it's safe to do so. If anyone is injured, call 112. Right after the tunnel comes the Cologne-West interchange, where the A1 leaves the Cologne ring.

The Cologne-Nord interchange near Chorweiler

The Cologne-Nord interchange is near Chorweiler, where the A1 meets the A57. On the way there the route passes Merkenich and a large industrial park, with the ring forming a wide curve from north to west here. An interchange brings many traffic movements together, so in a breakdown it helps us to know which direction you came from and where you were heading. Stay behind the crash barrier until help arrives.

South of Cologne-West: four lanes, a truck stop and a rest area

After Cologne-West, the A1 has four lanes and passes Frechen, Gleuel and Hürth on the way to the Erfttal. At Frechen there's a truck stop right by the exit, plus the Ville rest stop. At the Erfttal triangle, the A1 runs alongside the A61 for a stretch and then has six lanes as far as Erftstadt and the Bliesheim interchange. If your vehicle still rolls, drive to one of these spots. There you're standing outside the flow of traffic.

Who actually comes in Cologne?

Faster is based in Antwerp, Belgium. Jobs around Cologne are carried out by partners, we coordinate them. Whether a contracted company is called on the motorway often depends on the scene: if the police are there, or you've used an emergency call box, that can be the case. You can still state your preference. What to do overall in a breakdown is in our guide (German) on breaking down on the motorway.