Road construction project Rosenstein tunnel

The repair work on the shell of the first Leuzer tube will be completed in spring 2025. The tunnel will then be equipped with modern operating and safety technology such as ventilation systems and emergency call cabins. The work is scheduled for completion in fall 2025.

In March 2025, demolition work began on the former B14 turning point. This is where the two federal highways used to separate. Traffic on the B14 was routed in a loop towards the city center and the B10 traffic past Wilhelma towards Pragsattel. The road construction between the Leuze junction and the Rosenstein tunnel should be completed by fall 2025. The aim is to manage without full road closures. However, the local traffic routing will have to be provisionally adjusted several times.

The renovated Wilhelma ramp, the connection from Cannstatter Straße to Neckartalstraße in the direction of Wilhelma, will also go into operation in fall 2025. The structure dates back to the 1970s and has been extensively repaired. A short time later, the new left-turn ramp can also be opened for traffic coming from the Rosenstein Tunnel in the direction of Bad Cannstatt. This restores the connection to Bad Cannstatt, which had been interrupted by the closure of the Rosenstein Bridge since mid-2022.

In order for the entire junction, consisting of the three Leuzer tubes, the two tubes of the Schwanenplatz tunnel, the two tubes of the Rosenstein tunnel and the Berger tunnel and short tunnel, to function properly, the internal interaction of the complex of nine tunnel tubes must undergo final testing. In its final state, the operational and safety technology of the junction is to be controlled almost completely automatically. Test runs are necessary for this. In winter 2025/26, for example, the behavior of the tunnel complex in the event of a fire will be simulated.

The new traffic control system will be set up and tested by mid-2026. The technology should help to control the junction in such a way that traffic does not collect at the Leuze and in the Rosenstein Tunnel in the event of a closure or traffic jam. Finally, the green spaces adjacent to the construction site will be restored by mid-2026. The cycle paths and footpaths will also be adapted to the state of the art and today’s requirements. A widened section of the main cycle route 1 at Leuze was already reopened in 2024.

The following construction phases have been completed since June 2024:

• A control center for the operating technology was built.
• The B10 was widened on the side of the waterworks.
• A new noise barrier was built adjacent to the Berg district.
• A newly built short tunnel replaces the turning loop on the B14, serves as a direct turn-off towards the city center and will be integrated into the future traffic light intersection.
• For B10 traffic heading towards Esslingen, the existing Leuze tunnel was extended in July 2022 and a new third Leuze tube was built.
• A new ramp was built. In its final state, this will enable traffic from the Rosenstein tunnel to make a direct connection to Bad Cannstatt via the König-Karls-Brücke bridge. It was initially opened to traffic in the opposite direction in summer 2024. The ramp is expected to go into normal operation in fall 2025.
• The existing second Leuzer tube was repaired and retrofitted with operational and safety technology. It was reopened to traffic in March 2024.

The Rosenstein Tunnel road construction project closes the last gap between the districts of Zuffenhausen and Stuttgart-Ost with the B10 Rosenstein Tunnel and the B10/B14 connection at Mineralbad Leuze along the B10. Traffic will then flow along the B10 and, thanks to the tunnel, no longer through Neckartalstrasse and Pragstrasse. A little further upstream, the rebuilt Leuze junction ensures that traffic flows more smoothly.

Since the Rosenstein Tunnel opened in March 2022, Pragstrasse and Neckartalstrasse along Wilhelma have been reduced to one lane in each direction. This will reduce traffic congestion, which will benefit residents in Pragstrasse and Wilhelma. Diversionary traffic in the residential areas will be reduced with accompanying traffic management measures and bundled on the B10. The conversion of the Leuze junction and the construction of the new Rosenstein tunnel will result in improvements for cycling and pedestrian traffic and new green spaces will be created, for example on the banks of the Rosenstein in front of the entrance to Wilhelma.

During the construction work, there will also be disruptions for pedestrians and cyclists. In order to keep the routes as short as possible, signposting will be provided. All paths in the vicinity of the construction sites at Leuze will be maintained through relocations and temporary arrangements.

With the construction of the new S21 bridge over the Neckar and the footpath and cycle path underneath, a new connection has been created between the two banks of the Neckar. It is once again possible to walk directly to Rosenstein Park. The cycle path will be restored as soon as the construction road for the work on the S21 bridge is no longer needed.

When the B10 Rosenstein Tunnel opens in March 2022, the pedestrian and cycle path situation along Pragstrasse and Neckartalstrasse will also improve, as the traffic areas will be removed. This will gradually create new open spaces that will be used for green areas as well as footpaths and cycle paths.

The aim of the Rosenstein Tunnel road construction project is to improve the traffic infrastructure along the B10 between Stuttgart-Ost and Zuffenhausen. Several new tunnels were built or renovated for this purpose. Everything has to be coordinated so that traffic can flow optimally in these tunnels. Two new traffic light junctions will make this possible. A so-called traffic control system (VBA) is being installed to control them. It consists of various traffic technology systems and will perform the following tasks:

• issue warnings in the event of incidents in the tunnels or access routes,
• direct traffic when tunnels are closed and in the urban network along the B10, B14 and B27,
• adapt the traffic flow to the requirements of events in NeckarPark,
• optimize traffic flow in general to reduce environmental pollution and congestion, and
• prepare general traffic information for drivers and GPS systems visually and virtually.

Intelligent traffic management is supported by several LED displays. The panels, which are up to eleven meters wide, provide flexible information, warnings and traffic guidance in the event of road traffic incidents. At large events, they can also react to increased traffic volumes, as possible scenarios for these events are also programmed in advance. The existing guidance system is thus considerably extended beyond a pure tunnel barrier system and the cost-benefit ratio is optimized.

To prevent vehicles that are too high from entering the tunnels, height warning systems are installed at the appropriate points throughout the system. In the event of a height alarm, an optical-digital traffic monitoring system detects the vehicle concerned and displays it in the 24/7 tunnel monitoring center. The VBA then serves to warn and stop the traffic.

Roadside units will be set up throughout the project area and in the tunnels. They are used for Infrastructure-2-Car communication. The devices communicate with the traffic control center and send relevant information directly to the vehicles, for example about traffic lights or the current traffic volume.

All components of this traffic technology are not controlled by the tunnel operating technology, but by a separate traffic computer (VSR), which is integrated into the overall VSR network of the civil engineering office. This makes dynamic traffic management possible, as is prescribed for modern tunnels (EAT80/100).

The tunnels report their respective status to a VMS operating system. This is fed with predefined scenarios and can control itself partially or fully automatically in the event of incidents such as one or more tunnel closures.

The VMS is monitored and operated by operators who control the system via a user interface of the integrated traffic control center (IVLZ) or the tunnel monitoring center. There is always direct communication with the traffic lights in order to activate high-performance and route-related detour programs as required. Manual intervention by an operator always has top priority. To ensure data security and integrity, all components are monitored using state-of-the-art monitoring modules in order to meet the requirements for critical infrastructure (KRITS regulation).

Nine million euros have been earmarked for the planning and implementation of the VBA. The civil engineering office planned and implemented the design of the system. In future modernizations and the further expansion of dynamic traffic technology, the traffic control system of the Rosenstein Tunnel road construction project will set the new general standard in Stuttgart.

Due to its location, a large proportion of the wastewater in Stuttgart flows together in the valley basin. This is transported via the main wastewater collector Nesenbachkanal past the Leuze to the main sewage treatment plant in Mühlhausen. In order to prevent the sewage treatment plant from receiving more wastewater than it can treat, the volume must be regulated.

In the course of the construction work for the new tunnels at the Leuze junction, the main wastewater collector of the city of Stuttgart also had to be adapted. This made it possible to renew the flow rate measurement at the main water collector. A modern magnetic inductive flow meter (MID) was installed, which generates an electrically usable signal from the water flow. This measurement is used to control valves in the sewer system, which regulate the flow so that the wastewater volume does not exceed a certain maximum. If the volume of water from rainfall is high enough, it backs up into the so-called rainwater retention basin. If the volume of wastewater drops to a low level again after the rain, the retention basins are emptied by the sewer system and routed to the sewage treatment plant.

Here you will find all the important municipal council printed matter on the Rosenstein Tunnel road construction project:

• Client: City of Stuttgart
• Financing: Federal Republic of Germany / State of Baden-Württemberg / City of Stuttgart
• Project management: City of Stuttgart, Civil Engineering Office
• Traffic concept and development plan procedure: Office for Urban Planning and Housing
• Construction period: 2014 to 2026 (as of April 7, 2025)
• Commissioning of left-turn ramp, Wilhelma ramp, first Leuzer tube: fall 2025
• Commissioning of second Leuzer tube: March 2024
• Commissioning of third Leuzer tube: July 2022
• Commissioning of the B10 Rosenstein tunnel: March 2022
• Commissioning of the B10/B14 short tunnel: February 2021
• Total commissioning: mid-2026
• Costs: 495.5 million euros including own work capitalized

The renovation of the first Leuzer tube is currently underway and is expected to be completed by autumn 2025. In order for the entire node, consisting of the three Leuzer tubes, the two tubes of the Schwanenplatz tunnel, the two tubes of the Rosenstein tunnel and the Berger tunnel and short tunnel, to function properly, the internal interaction of the complex of nine tunnel tubes must be finally tested. In its final state, the operational and safety technology of the junction is to be controlled almost completely automatically. Test runs are necessary for this. In winter 2025/26, for example, the behavior of the tunnel complex in the event of a fire will be simulated. The entire project is scheduled to go into operation in mid-2026.

The new traffic guidance system will be set up and tested by mid-2026. The technology will help to control the junction so that traffic does not collect at the Leuze and in the Rosenstein Tunnel in the event of a closure or traffic jam. Finally, the green spaces adjacent to the construction site will be restored by mid-2026. The cycle paths and footpaths will also be adapted to the state of the art and today’s requirements. A widened section of the main Leuze cycle route 1 was already reopened in 2024.

The new B10 Rosenstein Tunnel was opened to traffic in March 2022. Since fall 2019, the Rosenstein footbridge over the light rail tracks can once again be used as a direct connection between Rosenstein Park and the Leuze mineral baths.

The short tunnel at the Leuze junction went into operation in February 2021. The third Leuze tube was opened in July 2022. The left-turn ramp onto König-Karls-Brücke in the direction of Bad Cannstatt is in operation with temporary traffic routing. The temporary solution is expected to be lifted in fall 2025 and the usual traffic routing set up. The renovation of the second, middle Leuzer tube has been completed and the tunnel has been usable again since March 2024.

The current cost status is 495.5 million euros (as of April 2025,  municipal council document 17/2025 (opens in a new tab)).

The costs for the extensive conversion and renovation of the B10/B14 tunnel connection at Stuttgart Leuze have recently risen. On March 13, 2025, the municipal council approved the increase in costs by a majority of 39.4 million euros. This is the largest construction project in the history of Stuttgart’s civil engineering department to date.

The reason for the additional costs at the so-called Leuze junction: During the conversion of the 1970s tubes, numerous structural and technical challenges had to be overcome which, according to the civil engineering office, could not have been foreseen in advance. In addition, the global coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine had massively increased the cost of materials and personnel.

The tunnel portals of the B10 Rosenstein Tunnel in Pragstrasse and Neckartalstrasse and the tunnel structures at Leuzeknoten are part of the so-called traffic area and were built using the cut-and-cover method. The two tubes of the B10 Rosenstein Tunnel, on the other hand, were excavated and extended using the mining method.

The Rosenstein Tunnel road construction project closes the last gap between the districts of Zuffenhausen and Stuttgart-Ost with the B10 Rosenstein Tunnel and the B10/B14 connection at Mineralbad Leuze along the B10. Traffic then flows along the B10 and, thanks to the tunnel, no longer through Neckartalstrasse and Pragstrasse. A little further upstream, the rebuilt Leuze junction ensures that traffic flows more smoothly.

Since the Rosenstein Tunnel opened in March 2022, Pragstrasse and Neckartalstrasse along Wilhelma have been reduced to one lane in each direction. This will reduce traffic congestion, which will benefit residents in Pragstrasse and Wilhelma. Diversionary traffic in the residential areas will be reduced with accompanying traffic management measures and bundled on the B10. The conversion of the Leuze junction and the construction of the new Rosenstein tunnel will result in improvements for cycling and pedestrian traffic. New green spaces are also being created, for example on the Rosenstein bank in front of the entrance to Wilhelma.

No, the results of a traffic report from 2011 show that no significant increase in B10 traffic is to be expected overall. Fears that the B10 could become a substitute route for the highway in the future are also unfounded. This is because the B10 is an urban route with traffic light junctions and a speed limit of 50 km/h. On the contrary, closing the gap will bundle the current alternative traffic from the surrounding residential areas on the B10 and relieve the burden on residents.

Yes, with a construction project of this magnitude, traffic disruptions cannot be completely avoided despite thorough preparation. The Civil Engineering Department is working hard to keep disruptions to a minimum and asks for your understanding for any possible restrictions.

All traffic management during the construction work will be carried out in cooperation with the Integrated Traffic Management Center (IVLZ). To ensure that traffic can flow as smoothly as possible, individual lanes will only be closed at times when there is little traffic, for example at night and at weekends. The short-term closures will be coordinated with the IVLZ to avoid overlaps with major events in Neckarpark, for example.

In order to maintain all lanes of the B10 and B14 and the operation of the light rail lines, tracks of the Stuttgart streetcars (SSB) as well as the lanes for car traffic were temporarily relocated or routed over temporary bridges during several construction phases. It will not be possible to completely avoid such shifts until completion.

Depending on the construction phase, not all lanes will be available. Partial and full closures with detour will be as short as possible and mainly during low-traffic periods - for example at night, at weekends or during the summer vacations. Wherever possible, missing lanes will be provisionally replaced. All traffic management is carried out in cooperation with the Integrated Traffic Management Center (IVLZ).

In order to minimize disruption for pedestrians and cyclists during the construction work, signposts have been placed along the route. Even if there may be changes from time to time, the routes should always remain in place for as long as possible and over several construction phases.

Yes, the pedestrian and cycle path situation along Pragstrasse and Neckartalstrasse will be improved by removing the existing traffic areas. This will create open spaces that can be used for new green areas as well as footpaths and cycle paths.

The footbridge over Neckartalstrasse was completed in November 2021. Pedestrians now have a direct connection from Bad Cannstatt to Rosensteinpark again (not barrier-free).

The cycle path connection from Bad Cannstatt to Rosensteinpark will be re-established as soon as the construction work on the S21 bridge is completed and the construction road currently in use is no longer needed.

The Rosenstein Tunnel is equipped with the latest safety equipment (see Guidelines for the Equipment and Operation of Road Tunnels RABT 2006). A fire alarm system detects the exact location of a burning vehicle in the event of a fire in the tunnel. Smoke fumes are extracted locally via a smoke extraction system.

In addition, each tunnel tube has a 1 meter wide emergency walkway on both sides of the carriageway to the nearest cross-passage, through which the other tunnel tube can be reached. The maximum distance between the cross-passages is 200 meters. The cross-passages also allow the fire department, ambulance service, police and other emergency vehicles to reach the scene quickly.

The brochure from the Federal Highway Research Institute shows you how to behave correctly in an emergency in a road tunnel:  Correct behavior in road tunnels PDF-File 580,57 kB.

No, because the Rosenstein Tunnel road construction project is subject to the legal requirements of the Stuttgart Regional Council’s Ordinance on the Protection of Medicinal Springs. The construction site is located in the inner and core zone of the medicinal spring protection area and was planned in accordance with the strict requirements of medicinal spring protection.

A total of 381 trees were felled in connection with the construction project and 385 new trees will be planted. A distinction is made between trees with a trunk circumference (STU) greater than 80 cm (diameter from approx. 25 cm) and trees with STU less than 80 cm (diameter up to approx. 25 cm). No historic trees in Rosensteinpark are affected by the felling work.

• Pragstraße area: felling of 181 trees (63 STU larger than 80 cm and 118 STU smaller than 80 cm).
• Neckartalstraße area: felling of 74 trees (46 STU taller than 80 cm and 28 STU shorter than 80 cm).
• Wilhelma area: felling of 35 trees (20 STU larger than 80 cm STU and 15 STU smaller than 80 cm).
• Leuze area: felling of 91 trees (28 STU larger than 80 cm STU and 63 STU smaller than 80 cm).

The first replacements have already been planted in Rosensteinpark, where 27 new trees have been planted. Large areas that are currently still available for car traffic are being used for further new planting.

In addition, a total of 27 measures were defined in the development plan for the B10 Rosenstein Tunnel in the so-called  landscape conservation plan PDF-File 2,37 MB in order to minimize or compensate for interventions in nature and the landscape.

Many measures are being implemented to minimize or compensate for the impact on nature and the landscape. A catalog of measures can be found in the  landscape conservation plan PDF-File 2,37 MB.

Here is an overview of some of these measures:

• Landscape-defining individual trees within the construction areas will be preserved and secured as habitats for tree-bound animal species by means of approach protection and/or a fixed protective fence in the root and crown area.
• In order to compensate for or minimize damage to habitats and vegetation caused by construction activities, individual trees will be planted in alternative locations in advance.
• To ensure that valuable plant soil is not lost, it was removed and stored beforehand. Once individual construction works have been completed, the soil can be returned to suitable locations.
• The measures for species protection are based on the individual reports of the animal experts and are assigned to the various animal groups or species as “special” measures.
• The wall lizards in the area of the earth walls on the banks of the Neckar were relocated to a lizard-friendly area in the extension of the sandstone wall downstream of the Neckar. The area of the construction site facilities facing the Neckar has a lizard-proof fence and reptile traps have been installed along the pedestrian paths to prevent the animals from entering the construction site.

During the construction period, the Berger Sprudler cannot be put into operation due to the lack of supply lines. They were taken off the grid during preparations for the construction project. After completion in mid-2026, they should start bubbling again.

During construction, the companies involved in the building project implement a “dust protection concept”. This concept ensures that construction is carried out with as few emissions as possible in order to minimize construction-related dust and air pollutant emissions.

Since the B10 traffic has been passing through the Rosenstein Tunnel since March 2022, the air quality will improve considerably, especially in the Prag and Neckartal streets. The exhaust gases generated inside the tunnel will be discharged through the exhaust stack in Pragstraße and through the tunnel portal in Neckartalstraße.

During the construction period, the guideline values of the General Administrative Regulation for Protection against Construction Noise (AVV-Baulärm) apply. It is unavoidable that noise pollution will occur during normal working hours at the Leuze junction during the construction period. The Civil Engineering Office is trying to minimize the impact of the construction work as much as possible and asks for your understanding for the unavoidable disruption during the construction period.

The opening of the B10 Rosenstein Tunnel has greatly reduced noise pollution in the area around Pragstrasse, Neckartalstrasse and Schönestrasse, as all B10 traffic is bundled in the tunnel. The accompanying traffic management and urban development measures have also had a positive effect on noise reduction in the surrounding residential areas, as there is no longer any alternative traffic.

During the construction work, parts of the sunbathing lawn were needed for the tunnel construction. These are now accessible to bathers again and the two outdoor sports fields have been modernized. The area in front of the entrance to the mineral baths has also been largely completed and the construction work will be finished in the course of 2025. The pathways for pedestrians and cyclists have been restored.

No, the Neckar Käpt’n’s shipping operations will not be restricted during the entire construction work, as the footpath along the banks of the Neckar will be maintained.