Explosives suspicion in Rheinfelden: A861 closed, two arrests, avoid the border
A major police operation has been underway at the German-Swiss border near Rheinfelden since midday due to a suspicion of explosives. Two men have been provisionally arrested, according to the Freiburg police. The two were in a car that was stopped at the Rheinfelden motorway border crossing while entering Switzerland at around 1:00 p.m. Explosives detection dogs from the Swiss customs service and the German Federal Police alerted twice during the inspection. Special forces are currently examining the vehicle. Whether there is actually explosives on board remains unclear for the time being.
The situation is concrete for travelers. The A861, which connects the A98 on the German side with the Swiss A3, is closed in both directions. The border crossing is located on the Rheinfelden Bridge between the German and Swiss towns of Rheinfelden. On a normal day, around 30,000 vehicles cross this bridge. Consequently, traffic jams are extensive: the ADAC is reporting tailbacks several kilometers long on both sides of the border. Police are diverting traffic at the Rheinfelden-Mitte exit. According to a police spokesperson, it is not yet clear when the closure will be lifted.
What you should do if you need to travel to Switzerland or back this evening: Avoid the Rheinfelden motorway border crossing and plan your route via another crossing, such as Weil am Rhein or Laufenburg. Expect increased traffic there as well, as all transit traffic is being diverted. If you are a commuter, inform your employer early about a potential delay. If you need to catch a flight or a connecting train, check rail connections as an alternative, as rail traffic is not affected by the closure.
For context: An alert from explosives detection dogs is a point of suspicion and not proof. At the same border crossing, a similar suspicion in October 2023 was not confirmed after a more detailed inspection, and the closure was lifted that evening. The presumption of innocence applies to the two arrested men. The police have not yet confirmed further details regarding their identities or the background of the inspection. Therefore, rely on current traffic reports for your travel planning rather than assumptions about the outcome of the operation.