Dubai Telegraph - Highway to hell? Plan for Germany's biggest motorway sparks anger

EUR -
AED 3.879454
AFN 71.766172
ALL 98.446538
AMD 408.727287
ANG 1.903424
AOA 962.189651
ARS 1055.136057
AUD 1.630409
AWG 1.901181
AZN 1.789518
BAM 1.961728
BBD 2.132343
BDT 126.201335
BGN 1.9588
BHD 0.398064
BIF 3118.741826
BMD 1.056211
BND 1.421281
BOB 7.297188
BRL 6.105428
BSD 1.056091
BTN 89.136639
BWP 14.496666
BYN 3.456143
BYR 20701.745225
BZD 2.128773
CAD 1.480962
CDF 3026.046048
CHF 0.937129
CLF 0.037557
CLP 1036.439301
CNY 7.636301
CNH 7.645963
COP 4727.78219
CRC 539.429963
CUC 1.056211
CUP 27.989605
CVE 110.599191
CZK 25.276513
DJF 188.054673
DKK 7.458575
DOP 63.873001
DZD 141.196108
EGP 52.131744
ERN 15.843172
ETB 130.910644
FJD 2.402194
FKP 0.833686
GBP 0.831777
GEL 2.883565
GGP 0.833686
GHS 16.976135
GIP 0.833686
GMD 74.991397
GNF 9102.504493
GTQ 8.155953
GYD 220.943428
HKD 8.217753
HNL 26.666577
HRK 7.53423
HTG 138.767993
HUF 406.15981
IDR 16809.289017
ILS 3.948874
IMP 0.833686
INR 89.180057
IQD 1383.48038
IRR 44458.579959
ISK 146.095547
JEP 0.833686
JMD 167.185173
JOD 0.748958
JPY 164.521312
KES 136.515348
KGS 91.231852
KHR 4289.881246
KMF 492.563931
KPW 950.589942
KRW 1479.650439
KWD 0.32489
KYD 0.880043
KZT 523.582077
LAK 23200.543009
LBP 94573.658376
LKR 308.542304
LRD 194.845062
LSL 19.330811
LTL 3.118718
LVL 0.638891
LYD 5.158587
MAD 10.547972
MDL 19.130443
MGA 4948.044906
MKD 61.515768
MMK 3430.533723
MNT 3589.00659
MOP 8.466021
MRU 41.984863
MUR 49.842827
MVR 16.318166
MWK 1831.198548
MXN 21.74186
MYR 4.732353
MZN 67.489547
NAD 19.330811
NGN 1774.287045
NIO 38.86892
NOK 11.740652
NPR 142.624361
NZD 1.797365
OMR 0.406676
PAB 1.056111
PEN 4.024312
PGK 4.184644
PHP 62.056118
PKR 293.325825
PLN 4.325535
PYG 8247.922253
QAR 3.849933
RON 4.976236
RSD 117.044056
RUB 105.092045
RWF 1449.953783
SAR 3.967208
SBD 8.854807
SCR 14.362927
SDG 635.317643
SEK 11.596225
SGD 1.417832
SHP 0.833686
SLE 24.097471
SLL 22148.231865
SOS 603.523631
SRD 37.343937
STD 21861.445383
SVC 9.240923
SYP 2653.762908
SZL 19.339168
THB 36.814269
TJS 11.257603
TMT 3.707302
TND 3.335479
TOP 2.473748
TRY 36.27907
TTD 7.170667
TWD 34.391332
TZS 2809.522312
UAH 43.536853
UGX 3875.711004
USD 1.056211
UYU 44.865568
UZS 13525.870313
VES 47.523829
VND 26827.771874
VUV 125.395551
WST 2.94851
XAF 657.932577
XAG 0.034763
XAU 0.000412
XCD 2.854464
XDR 0.795596
XOF 657.976316
XPF 119.331742
YER 263.843317
ZAR 19.268254
ZMK 9507.174232
ZMW 28.963064
ZWL 340.099669
  • SCS

    -0.0500

    13.32

    -0.38%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    24.755

    +0.1%

  • CMSC

    0.0800

    24.69

    +0.32%

  • BTI

    0.1300

    35.55

    +0.37%

  • GSK

    0.1400

    35.25

    +0.4%

  • AZN

    0.4350

    65.725

    +0.66%

  • BP

    0.3250

    28.895

    +1.12%

  • RBGPF

    -0.9400

    59.25

    -1.59%

  • RIO

    -0.2550

    60.365

    -0.42%

  • NGG

    0.2850

    62.405

    +0.46%

  • VOD

    0.0250

    8.775

    +0.28%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1500

    6.96

    -2.16%

  • JRI

    0.0050

    13.245

    +0.04%

  • BCC

    -1.7400

    140.81

    -1.24%

  • BCE

    0.1400

    27.35

    +0.51%

  • RELX

    0.2000

    46.32

    +0.43%

Highway to hell? Plan for Germany's biggest motorway sparks anger
Highway to hell? Plan for Germany's biggest motorway sparks anger / Photo: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV - AFP

Highway to hell? Plan for Germany's biggest motorway sparks anger

A proposal to create Germany's biggest motorway has sparked a backlash, with critics fearful the "monstrosity" will increase climate-damaging emissions, worsen noise pollution and harm biodiverse habitats.

Text size:

The recommendation suggests widening a section of the A5 outside the western city of Frankfurt to 10 lanes at an estimated cost of 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion).

While supporters say it is necessary to cope with expected increases in traffic on what is already one of Germany's busiest stretches of motorway, it has touched a nerve amid mounting concerns about the climate crisis.

Hans Christoph Stoodt, from a campaign group fighting the plans, described the idea as "completely crazy", adding it would create a "monstrosity".

"The German government has committed to making Germany climate-neutral by 2045... and the same government is planning a 10-lane motorway here," he told AFP.

"We need to expand public transport and drastically reduce private, motorised transport driven by fossil fuels."

The proposal was laid out in a feasibility study commissioned by state-owned Autobahn GmbH, which manages the country's motorways, and that was only released publicly in recent weeks under pressure from campaigners.

Authorities have since been at pains to stress they are still deciding what to do.

The transport ministry in Berlin said the study does not represent a final decision and will only form part of its considerations.

- 'Madness' -

The affected stretch, running about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from a junction near the city's airport to the town of Friedberg to the north, is currently either six or eight lanes.

The study argues the extension is needed to cope with looming increases in traffic volumes.

Already jammed at busy times, the A5 is set to get even more crowded, with some 200,000 cars expected on the road daily by 2030, according to the study.

But as well as a potential rise in emissions, Stoodt listed a litany of other problems that would be caused by widening the highway.

Houses close to the motorway would have to be demolished to make way for extra lanes, said the 69-year-old, who lives in the Griesheim area of Frankfurt close to the motorway.

Despite high barriers lining the side of the highway aimed at reducing noise, the constant rumbling of traffic is already above permitted levels and would only worsen with an extension, said Stoodt, whose group is called "It is too loud".

Stefan Gegner, who led legal efforts to force Autobahn GmbH to release the study, lives in a house just 50 metres (160 feet) from the motorway and says the traffic noise is already very loud.

If additional lanes were added, he fears the noise would worsen and the barriers would come right up to his house. Meanwhile, the area would be transformed into a construction site for several years.

"It's just madness, you would not want to live there anymore," the 53-year-old said.

Stoodt is also worried about the impact on nature in the local area, as the proposed expansion runs through an area that provides drinking water and hosts a bird sanctuary.

- 'Not insurmountable' -

The study however says that there are no "insurmountable environmental obstacles" to widening the motorway.

In its conclusions, it finds that widening the section of the motorway to 10 lanes is the only option examined that would "achieve sufficient capacity" to cope with expected increases in traffic.

A transport plan produced by the federal government also envisages expanding sections of the A5, although what the study suggests goes further.

There have been mixed messages from authorities.

Frankfurt city officials have spoken out strongly against the 10-lane widening.

The government of the state of Hesse -- where Frankfurt is located -- has said it is not opposed to the idea, although only if the road was covered with some kind of enclosure to reduce noise.

However the final decision rests with the transport ministry in Berlin, which is led by the motorway-friendly FDP party.

A ministry spokeswoman said that, as well as traffic flow, factors including impacts on nature, air pollution and noise will be taken into account.

But the expansion has not been ruled out. An "overall concept" will now be drawn up related to any potential widening, taking into account the feasibility study as well as other factors like updated traffic studies, it said.

D.Naveed--DT