Graz/Judenburg (OTS) – This is the result of a current survey by the Institute for Economic and Location Development among 713 companies from the districts of Murau, Murtal, Leoben and Liezen, which are most affected. 89 percent rated the planning stop ordered by Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler for closing the gap in the road network between Styria and Carinthia negatively. “With her political solo effort, the minister is contributing to further emigration, we must prevent this development,” WKO Styria President Josef Herk and regional office chairman Norbert Steinwidder demand “a rethinking”.
As a result of the evaluation of the ASFINAG construction program by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, not only has the three-lane expansion of the A9 in the south of Graz been shelved for the time being, but also another important road project in Styria stopped: Closing the gap in the Murau-Murtal region from Unzmarkt to St. Veit an der Glan, because the S37 (new: Klagenfurter Schnellstraße) will not be pursued any further. Thus, the A2 – Südautobahn remains the only continuous, high-level connection from Vienna to Klagenfurt. And that although the S36 – Murtal expressway from Judenburg to Unzmarkt will be completely expanded by 2030. However, the continuation of the expressway to Scheifling and further in the direction of Klagenfurt is no longer an issue for Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler. A decision that met with the greatest incomprehension at WKO Styria President Josef Herk and regional office chairman Norbert Steinwidder: “The minister should finally talk to those affected and take their concerns seriously. Our region suffers massively from emigration, and this development is exacerbated by going it alone politically.”
Important closing of the gap in the fight against emigration
In the last 20 years alone, the region has shrunk by more than 10,000 inhabitants – or to put it another way: the two districts have lost as many inhabitants since 2002 as currently live in Zeltweg and Murau. “The basic prerequisite for reversing this negative demographic spiral is an efficient infrastructure. Closing the S37 gap would be extremely important here, which is why we are asking the minister to reconsider her decision,” said Herk and Steinwidder. They also refer to a current survey by the Institute for Economic and Location Development.
The most important results of the survey at a glance
- Overall, 89% rated the planning and construction freeze on the S37 as negative (!), 7% as neutral and 4% as positive.
- 57%(!) of all entrepreneurs are dissatisfied with the current development status in the Scheifling – St. Veit an der Glan section, which fell victim to the planning freeze, 22% less satisfied and only 5% very satisfied or 10% satisfied.
- For 79%, the status quo of this road connection is not satisfactory.
- This stretch of road, which connects Styria with Carinthia, is of great importance to 64% of entrepreneurs!
- The most frequently cited reasons against stopping planning are, on the one hand, that an expansion of the S36 or S37 would strengthen the economic axis of Styria and Carinthia (84%) and increase road safety (78%). On the other hand, 70% of the companies surveyed see an opportunity to improve the flow of traffic and to make the districts of Murau, Murtal, St. Veit and Klagenfurt-Land more attractive as a business and living location.
- All in all, 94% (!) would consider an expansion of the Klagenfurt and Murtal expressways to be necessary, primarily to strengthen the economic axis of Styria and Carinthia, but also to increase traffic safety.
Herk and Steinwidder conclude: “The regional economy is clearly against the planning freeze, as the present survey shows. Even if climate and environmental protection is of course a central challenge that we all have to face, it needs an efficient infrastructure, because after all e-cars also need roads.” A basic ranking of infrastructure projects according to objective criteria is important and necessary in this regard However, from a legal point of view, the authority to impose a planning freeze on democratically coordinated and legally defined projects would have to be questioned. “This applies all the more when non-transparent and incomplete evaluation results form the basis for this decision. That is why we are asking the minister to engage in a broad, solution-oriented discourse with everyone involved.”
Federal Councilor Isabella Kaltenegger reports on legal aspects of the Federal Roads Act that have arisen in connection with the Lobau Tunnel and the S1 and the B317 in Carinthia and of course also apply to the S37. Like the Vienna Outer Ring Expressway, the S36 and S37 have been designated as federal roads to be upgraded. The democratically passed Federal Roads Act thus provides for the realization of the S37, an ideologically motivated solo effort by a minister contradicts the basic democratic principles here. A legal opinion has now led to the conclusion that there is no legal basis for the planning freeze and that the ministry has “far exceeded” its powers and is therefore not legal.
Questions & contact:
Chamber of Commerce Styria
Mag. Mario Lugger
Head of Communications
(0316)601-652
mario.lugger@wkstmk.at
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