Brocken Road Cleared After Enforced Break Due to Storm - Brocken Road reopens after Storm Elli buries Harz in heavy snow
Heavy snow from Storm Elli forced the closure of Brocken Road in the Harz district. By Saturday afternoon, municipal crews had finally reached the 1,141-metre summit. The operation involved snow blowers and plow blades to clear over half a metre of snow from the route.
The road maintenance team worked through deep snow, with depths exceeding 50 centimetres in places. By mid-afternoon, they had cleared access to the Brocken plateau, the highest point in the Harz Mountains. Dennis Schlehuber, who leads the district’s road maintenance department, confirmed that conditions were now under control.
Snow removal across the wider Harz area will wrap up by evening. Crews are now spreading brine and salt on treated surfaces to stop black ice forming. However, the German Weather Service has issued a warning for icy patches in Saxony-Anhalt from Monday. Brocken Road had been shut since Storm Elli swept through the region earlier in the week. The closure disrupted travel to the popular summit, but authorities have now reopened the route.
The final snow has been cleared, and preventative measures are in place to keep roads safe. Drivers in the Harz district are advised to stay cautious, especially with freezing temperatures forecast. The weather service’s alert for Saxony-Anhalt remains active from the start of next week.
