Rita Deutschbein Managing Editor

May 30, 2025, 1:38 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

Ascension Day is a holiday in Germany and for many, an opportunity to take a long weekend. Accordingly, the roads and highways were packed on Thursday. It was all the more frustrating that on this day, a significant error in Google Maps caused further disruptions in travel. Users around metropolitan areas such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin saw widespread closures on the map service–even though traffic was largely normal in many places.

False Closures in Google Maps Paralyze Traffic

The problem was apparently so significant that even foreign media like “The Guardian” reported on it. According to Google Maps’ route display, large parts of the German highway network seemed impassable on Thursday. In many regions of Germany, the maps were covered with red closure markers, even though they were actually open. This phenomenon also occurred in parts of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Read also: Huge Update for Google Maps to Completely Change Usage

Many drivers relied on these incorrect indications and diverted to side roads, which made the traffic chaos a reality. The small roads were not equipped to handle the sudden influx, leading to significant delays. Police and traffic authorities were inundated with inquiries.

Those who switched to other services like Apple Maps, Waze, or traffic news on the radio received a largely realistic picture–in many places, traffic flowed without significant issues.

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Frustration Among Drivers and Speculation on Social Media

On social networks, users reacted with confusion and humor to the error in Google Maps. “They can’t have closed ALL the highways,” wrote one user. Another compared the digital map image to an “acne attack” on the highway network. There was even speculation about possible terrorist attacks or hacker intrusions.

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The map data used for route planning is based, according to Google, on three sources: third-party providers, official bodies such as traffic authorities, and user feedback. These are constantly updated–though the speed varies.

Cause of Google Maps Error Still Unknown

Why the error occurred in Google Maps on Ascension Day is still unknown. A Google spokesperson stated that they are reviewing the issue following initial user reports and are gradually removing false closure markers.

Traffic participants are advised to use multiple sources of information in the future before planning their route.