diff --git a/src/lib/components/MapView.svelte b/src/lib/components/MapView.svelte
index e7198d0..c757869 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/MapView.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/MapView.svelte
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import 'leaflet/dist/leaflet.css';
-	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
+	import { onMount, onDestroy } from 'svelte';
 	import type { Map as LeafletMap } from 'leaflet';
 	import { search, type Searchable, type SearchResult } from '$lib/search';
 	import { geocode, type GeocodedPlace } from '$lib/geocode';
 	import DirectionsPanel from '$lib/components/DirectionsPanel.svelte';
 	import { prefs } from '$lib/prefs';
-	import { route, type RouteGraph, type AvoidRule, type RouteResult } from '$lib/routing';
+	import type { RouteGraph, AvoidRule, RouteResult } from '$lib/routing';
 
 	type FeatureCollection = {
 		type: string;
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@
 	let routeLoading = $state(false);
 	let routeProgress = $state(0);
 	let graphLabel = $derived(dumpLayers[0]?.label ?? '');
+	// --- Web Worker for route computation (off the UI thread) ---
+	let routeWorker: Worker | null = null;
+	let routeToken = 0;
+	let pendingResolve: ((r: RouteResult) => void) | null = null;
+	let pendingReject: ((e: Error) => void) | null = null;
 	// --- search state ---
 	const searchables: Searchable[] = [];
 	let query = $state('');
@@ -177,24 +182,63 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Run a route. Task 4 replaces this with a Web Worker call; for now a
-	// synchronous in-thread computation keeps the panel functional.
+	// Lazily create the routing worker. It is recreated on demand and kept for
+	// the component lifetime (destroyed on unmount).
+	function ensureWorker(): Worker {
+		if (routeWorker) return routeWorker;
+		const w = new Worker(new URL('../routing.worker.ts', import.meta.url), { type: 'module' });
+		w.onmessage = (e: MessageEvent) => {
+			const msg = e.data as { type: string; pct?: number; result?: RouteResult; error?: string; message?: string; token?: number };
+			if (msg.type === 'progress' && msg.pct !== undefined) {
+				routeProgress = msg.pct;
+				return;
+			}
+			if (msg.type === 'done' && pendingResolve) {
+				const r = pendingResolve; pendingResolve = null; pendingReject = null;
+				computingRoute = false;
+				r(msg.result as RouteResult);
+			} else if (msg.type === 'error' && pendingReject) {
+				const rj = pendingReject; pendingResolve = null; pendingReject = null;
+				computingRoute = false;
+				rj(new Error((msg as { message?: string }).message ?? 'Route computation failed.'));
+			}
+		};
+		routeWorker = w;
+		return w;
+	}
+	function destroyWorker() {
+		if (routeWorker) { routeWorker.terminate(); routeWorker = null; }
+	}
+
+	// Run a route in the Web Worker, reporting progress back to the panel.
 	async function runRoute(
 		from: [number, number],
 		to: [number, number],
 		avoid: AvoidRule[]
 	): Promise<RouteResult> {
-		try {
-			if (!routeGraph) await loadRouteGraph();
-			if (!routeGraph) throw new Error('Road data layer is not available.');
-			computingRoute = true;
-			routeProgress = 1; // sync: no live progress in fallback
-			return route(routeGraph, from, to, routePois, avoid);
-		} finally {
-			computingRoute = false;
-		}
+		if (!routeGraph) await loadRouteGraph();
+		if (!routeGraph) throw new Error('Road data layer is not available.');
+		const w = ensureWorker();
+		computingRoute = true;
+		routeProgress = 0;
+		const token = ++routeToken;
+		return await new Promise<RouteResult>((resolve, reject) => {
+			pendingResolve = resolve;
+			pendingReject = reject;
+			w.postMessage({
+				type: 'route',
+				token,
+				graph: routeGraph,
+				pois: routePois,
+				from,
+				to,
+				avoid
+			});
+		});
 	}
 
+	onDestroy(destroyWorker);
+
 	function toggle(name: string) {
 		const g = layerGroups[name];
 		if (!g) return;