The German Bundesstraße 81 (abbreviated to: B81) acts as a main road link between Magdeburg, Halberstadt and Nordhausen.
The B 81 continues along the Kroppenstedt ring road, built in 2007/2008, and crosses the Bode again as it bypasses the village of Gröningen.
As a result, a similar autobahn-like expansion of this road section is one of the broader requirements listed in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (Bundesverkehrswegeplan, BVWP).
Finally the B 81 crosses the state border between Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia reaching Netzkater in the borough of Ilfeld, where it ends at a crossroads with the B 4.
The bypasses around Halberstadt and Blankenburg are a high priority in the current Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan.