These are uncertain times. The Russian invasion of the Ukraine forces large investments in the Bundeswehr. National debt is rising on the one hand, while building prices are exploding on the other. Chancellor Scholz speaks of a turning point and pessimists fear that Germany is slipping into a recession. Is there still money for the planned construction of the B26n? In addition, supporters can no longer rely on a CSU transport minister to protect the project. With the Greens, there is a party in the government that has been calling for a turnaround in traffic for decades. What does that mean for planning? Is the entire project at risk?
In any case, the opponents have not given up their resistance despite the ongoing planning approval process for the first construction phase. “We want to stop the entire project,” says Armin Beck, deputy chairman of the citizens’ initiative against the B26n, on request. “We will continue to fight against the construction project, both legally and politically.” For him, the planned B26n “is out of date”. “More important are investments in digitization, the energy transition and public transport,” said Beck. “The B26n, on the other hand, is from the 1970s.”
“More important are investments in digitization, the energy transition and public transport.”
Armin Beck, deputy chairman of the citizens’ initiative against the B26n–
Alexander Hoffmann, member of the Bundestag in Main-Spessart, also contradicts this on request. The Russian attack and the special fund decided to upgrade the Bundeswehr have nothing to do with the B26n, he says. In his opinion, the project cannot fail because of the financing, because the current high level of new debt is not permanent, but a special situation to deal with the effects of the corona pandemic and to cushion the consequences of the Russian war of aggression.
Hoffmann quotes the latest tax estimate. According to this, the federal, state and local governments will even earn 220 billion euros more by 2026. There is therefore no reason for him to part with the construction project. This is needed to create equivalent living conditions, since the car is indispensable in rural areas.
The building authority has received over 1,000 objections to the B26n
But first, what is the current status? What phase is the project in? The Würzburg State Building Authority provides information on this. As reported, the planning approval procedure for the first construction phase from Werneck to Müdesheim began in mid-2021. More than 1,000 comments and objections were received with the presentation of the project documents and the hearing of those responsible for public affairs. “This is unprecedented on this scale,” says the building authority. According to the procedure, the objections are currently being examined for their relevance.
The bandwidth ranges from the fundamental rejection of the project to specific questions from individual property affected, the building authority continues. The focus is on the transport and environmental impact of the project. In some cases there are extensive “counter” reports. The road construction authority assures that it will examine every fact that has been brought forward. How long this process will take cannot be estimated, so no date can be given when the process will be completed. But the building authority has come to a preliminary conclusion: It would become apparent that “extensive technical replanning” would not be necessary.
What about rare animal populations that sometimes cause unexpected problems for planners? There is said to be a rare hamster near Arnstein and bats worthy of protection near Heßlar. The building authority reports that for the first construction phase, extensive mapping has taken place with regard to all relevant species, but no hamsters have been found in the area of the project. The building authority confirms the existence of the bat population near Hesslar, but this is in the area of the second construction phase from Müdesheim to Karlstadt. Since this is also already being planned, a concept for dealing with the animals is being developed.
Does the Federal Constitutional Court prevent the construction of the B26n?
Opponents are pinning their hopes on a judgment by the Federal Constitutional Court in April 2021. The constitutional authorities have established that Article 20 of the Basic Law obliges the state to protect the climate because climate change endangers the natural basis of life for future generations. The ruling was greeted with cheering by environmental groups because, it was concluded, large construction projects need to be assessed to see if they emit higher carbon emissions, which road construction tends to do. However, the state building authority sees this statement by the constitutional protectors as “not an insurmountable obstacle for the project,” it said on request. One has an eye on it, it is checked whether further supplementary documents are required.
what about the cost The latest estimate is from July 2021. According to this, almost 80 million euros are estimated for the first eight kilometers of the first construction phase from Arnstein to Müdesheim. In the Federal Transport Routes Plan of 2016, the entire B26n with a road length of 41.5 kilometers from Arnstein to Helmstadt is specified at a cost of 172 million euros. However, this will not be possible if the costs for the first kilometers are extrapolated to the entire construction project. There are no official estimates for this. But B26n opponent Beck does not think half a billion for the entire MSP span with feeder to Lohr and two bridge structures is too high. And nobody knows today whether it won’t get worse. There are many examples of this, as shown by the explosion in costs of several billion euros for the main Munich subway route, which is partly a burden on the budget of the Ministry of Transport. Is there still money for the B26n?
In addition, there is an enormous space requirement, the opponents speak of “surface eating”. Beck laments the loss of 66 hectares – around 72 football pitches – for the first eight kilometers of the first construction phase alone, referring to calculations by the state building authority. Much of this land is used for agriculture, which means that it is lost to food production.
The citizens’ initiative wants to use the means at its disposal to take action against the B26n. However, Beck does not believe that the project can be legally stopped. He openly names the strategy. One wants to put obstacles in the way of the process until other power structures in the federal government end it politically. A green transport minister in the new traffic light government would have been helpful, because Beck does not expect any support from the FDP and SPD. “They both want to keep building roads for fun,” he says.
Citizens’ initiative well prepared
Beck sees the citizens’ initiative well prepared for one or more legal disputes. It would count 2,300 members, including congregations, associations and individuals. There would always be other members who support the demand to have the needs of the B26n checked in the Federal Transport Route Plan.
The next objection is already being prepared: According to Beck, in a plan approval procedure, each construction phase must be appropriate on its own. In Beck’s opinion, this is not the case for the first section of the B26n, as this ends near Müdesheim and only makes sense in the context of the second construction section from Müdesheim to Karlstadt.
The B26n is indispensable for relieving the Werntal”
Alexander Hoffmann, member of the Bundestag–
Alexander Hoffmann, on the other hand, considers the B26n to be indispensable for relieving the Werntal and for significantly improving the traffic routes overall. He cites representatives of the IHK Würzburg-Schweinfurt, who are calling for the B26n to be implemented without delay. In 2003, this road was included in the Federal Transport Route Plan as a four-lane highway-like road. But the plan has changed.
The B 26n is now a modern two-plus-one variant in the current federal traffic route plan, each one lane with alternating overtaking lanes. This is the most economical and environmentally friendly solution and, in Hoffmann’s opinion, also makes an enormous contribution to traffic safety, because dangerous overtaking maneuvers can then be avoided in the knowledge that a safe overtaking opportunity will soon be available. And it helps traffic flow more smoothly and travel times are noticeably reduced.
For Hoffmann, the critics fail to recognize how important it is to further develop the region’s infrastructure in line with needs. The district of Main-Spessart has some catching up to do here. Because there is no reasonable connection from Werneck/Arnstein to Karlstadt.
Planning sections B26n
1st planning section: It extends from the Arnstein-Ost junction to the Arnstein-West/Müdesheim junction (MSP 6) with expansion of the MSP 6 district road from the “Arnstein West/Müdesheim” junction to Müdesheim. Planning section 1 is included in the “priority requirement” in the current requirements plan. Goal: The roads running parallel to the B26n in the Arnstein area will be relieved.
2nd planning section: It connects to construction phase 1 and continues the B 26n to the west to Karlstadt. Planning section 2 is also in “Priority Need”. Objective: Traffic relief in the Werntal.
3. Planning section: It includes a first part of the feeder road Lohr (BA1) and a further connection to state road 2435 near Wiesenfeld. It thus establishes a connection between the state road near Wiesenfeld and the state road south of Lohr. Objective: bundling traffic from the first two planning sections to Lohr. In particular, the Lohr districts of Steinbach and Sendelbach will be relieved of traffic.
4. Planning section: It includes the continuation of the B 26n from Karlstadt to the A3 west of the Würzburg-West autobahn triangle and the B 276 feeder to Duttenbrunn. Planning section 4 is included in “Further requirements with planning rights”. The Würzburg State Building Authority is initially concentrating on planning sections 1 to 3.
Source: State Building Authority
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