Flood Risks and Corresponding Detours

In some areas, restrictions may apply during flooding of the Ruhr River. Map sections showing simple detour options are therefore available for certain areas. You can find them here, organized by the cities where flooding is typically expected based on past experience.

Flood bypass in Arnsberg Auf den Kämpen: If the area after the Twiete bridge in the direction of Neheim is flooded, the flood-prone area can be bypassed via the streets "Auf den Kämpen" and Mühlenstraße. The Jägerbrücke leads across the Ruhr to the RuhrtalRadweg. The further course is via Tiergartenstraße.
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Flood bypass in Arnsberg - Obereimer: If the RuhrtalRadweg in Alt-Arnsberg is flooded after passing under the railroad viaduct (Arnsberger Burgweg) in the direction of Neheim, this area can be bypassed without any problems. Before the railroad viaduct, turn left across Tiergartenstraße. At the end of the street turn right into the street "Unterm Römberge". Follow the road until you reach the railroad underpass, which you cross underneath and finally drive around the flooded area via the streets "Obereimer" and "Hammerweide". The connection is made at the Hammerweide bridge.
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Flood bypass in Arnsberg-Neheim - Binnerfeld: Between the town hall and BergheimerWeg/Mendener Straße, there are various options for crossing the Ruhr to return to the RuhrtalRadweg or to reach downtown Neheim.
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Flood bypass in Arnsberg-Neheim - Echthauser Straße: If the section between Rathausplatz and Haus Füchten should be flooded, there is the alternative option along the western bank of the Ruhr. The bypass is via the Ruhr bridge at Neheim-Hüsten station and Berliner Platz (school and sports center). Afterwards one drives over an independent footpath and cycle track and the Jahnallee up to the Bergheimer Weg. From here you follow the long-distance cycle path R12 to the road junction B7/Echthauser Straße (L732). The further guidance is via Echthauser Straße in the direction of Wickede.
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Flood bypass at Harkortsee: If the Strandweg on the north bank of the Harkortsee is flooded, the flood-prone area can be bypassed by changing to the south side of the Ruhr along the B 54 as early as Herdecke. On the south side of the Harkortsee you then go under the Ruhr viaduct to the Wasserschloss Werdringen. Then you have to turn left and right again to cross the railroad line before you switch back to the north bank of the Ruhr along the B 226 and meet the RuhrtalRadweg again in Wetter, which runs below the B 226 bridge.
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Flood bypass in Schwerte: Critical here are especially the depression at the driveway to the Wandhofen sports field and the lowered access from the Schwerte canoe club to the Ruhr. A bypass is possible via Hagener Straße. The use of the sidewalks is given free for cyclists.
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Flood bypass in Hattingen - Bochum/Dahlhausen: If it is no longer possible to pass under the Ruhr bridge on the B51, the bypass is through the city of Hattingen. Until the Ruhr is reached again at the Winzer Ruhrbogen, there are largely bike paths. If it is still "land under" at the Winzer Ruhrbogen, you have to continue on the roadway until you reach the signposted flood bypass in the direction of Essen in the left-hand bend to Niederwenigern.
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Flood bypass in Essen (Heisinger Ruhraue): If the RuhrtalRadweg in Essen Rellinghausen is flooded after crossing the traffic lights at the Konrad-Adenauer-Brücke, you can easily follow the wide, roadside cycle path in the direction of Baldeneysee. This leads back to the main route after three kilometers. Here there is a speedometer calibration section where the accuracy of the odometer can be checked.
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Water Levels

You can check the current water levels at various points along the Ruhr online at http://www.talsperrenleitzentrale-ruhr.de/online-daten/gewaesserpegel/. There is also an electronic water level display on-site, which you’ll find at the railroad bridge you’ll be passing under in the Hattingen Ruhr floodplain.

The only area for which empirical data is available is the flooding of the bike path in the Bochum/Dahlhausen–Essen/Horst region. Here, the first disruptions can be expected once the water level reaches approximately 250 cm (Hattingen gauge).

You can also use the Ruhrverband’s webcams to get an up-to-date view of several locations in the Ruhrgebiet: https://ruhrverband.de/fluesse-seen/webcams/

Flood Detours

Flood Risks and Corresponding Detours

Water Levels