The new Danube bridge in Linz, this connecting element, called the Danube Valley Bridge, separates like no other project. This will be visible today, Thursday, in the evening.
This is where the ceremonial opening of the bridge will take place – although the time when it will officially open to traffic has not yet been defined. The current forecast is late autumn – a number of test runs still need to be completed.
Separating because the positions couldn’t be further apart. “The A 26 Linz motorway is one of the most important projects to improve the traffic situation in Linz and in the surrounding area of the Upper Austrian capital,” says the motorway developer, Asfinag, and promises: “With the construction of the A 26, a large part of the traffic will be reduced in the future relocated to the new motorway and relieves pressure on the urban road network.”
The bridge is a “real” suspension bridge that, according to Asfinag, is “unique in the world in this dimension”. The costs of the first construction phase are 305 million euros, 85 percent of which is borne by Asfinag, ten percent by the state of Upper Austria and five percent by the city of Linz.
Billions for highway construction
The city and state missed an opportunity to exit the financing last year.
The total costs had risen to 1.2 billion euros, and the city and state simply waved the project through, even though the costs had almost doubled.
The entire city motorway construction from the A7 to the B127 by 2035 is defended on the grounds that it will mean up to eight percent less traffic in the city center. The Westring Bridge, which will now have the pleasant name Donautalbrücke and is celebrated today, is an essential part of it.
Nevertheless, the Greens and the “Traffic Transition Now” initiative are convinced that stopping the motorway construction now and using the Westring Bridge to relieve the pressure on the Nibelungen Bridge would make more sense than going through with the motorway construction at will.
More traffic overall
“The Westring would mean around 30,000 additional car trips per day, although, according to experts in Linz, 150,000 fewer car trips per day would have to take place in order to achieve the climate goals for 2030,” calculates the initiative, which had collected over 10,000 signatures against the motorway.
For the initiative it is clear: “This climate-unfriendly highway is eating up the money that we lack for future investments in public transport and other environmentally friendly means of transport.”
The illuminated bridge at the dress rehearsal
Asfinag has organized a party for the Danube Valley Bridge this evening. There are boat trips for around 2,500 citizens from the pier in front of the Lentos Art Museum to the new suspension bridge, which will be “suitably staged with a light and sound show,” according to Asfinag.
At the same time, the opponents in front of the Lentos will announce their position against the bridge. “We want to call on politicians to act,” says Christian Leckschmidt from the initiative.
They are given hope by the fact that the acting deputy mayor of Linz, Dietmar Prammer (SPÖ), had already overturned a project that was virtually set in stone, namely the rezoning of the green belt: “The city motorway should finally be re-evaluated.”
(kurier.at)
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25.10.2024, 12:36
