Cologne (dpa) – Cologne was experiencing major disruptions on Tuesday as bomb disposal experts were set to disarm wartime ordinance discovered by construction workers in the western German city.

A 500-metre exclusion zone has been set up around the site where the bomb was found on Monday evening in the district of Deutz, city authorities said.

Only 15 residents are said to be affected, but the impact was being felt by firms based in and around the central district. The Cologne Opera and the regional RTL broadcaster were among the businesses forced to evacuate their premises.

No inter-city trains would stop at the Koeln Messe/Deutz station, an important junction for long-distance and local services, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn railway operator said.

The restrictions would continue into the afternoon, an online travel advisory said.

Train travel over the city’s central Hohenzollern Bridge would also be halted while the bomb disarmament was under way, city authorities said. A section of the Rhine River would also be closed to boats.

The discovery of bombs dating back to the final months of World War II is common in Germany and there are often evacuations to ensure their safe disposal.