B12 expansion in Kaufbeuren: dispute over lawsuits and environmental protection plans!

B12 expansion in Kaufbeuren: dispute over lawsuits and environmental protection plans!

Kaufbeuren, Deutschland - The expansion of the B12 between Kaufbeuren-Hirschzell and Germaringen is in the pipeline. Road construction planner Thomas Hanrieder has informed the Kaufbeurer city councils about the plans. Currently, the expansion projects for construction section C, which extends from Hirschzell to Untergermaringen, are almost complete. With an investment volume of 108 million euros, the Federal Ministry of Transport would like to modernize the approximately 62 -kilometer -long federal road between Kempten and Buchloe. Five further sections are in different planning levels, with three already in the detailed planning

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important measures for security and environment

A symmetrical expansion would require massive interventions, since all bridges on the route would have to be torn down. Therefore, the expansion on the eastern side of the street near Hirschzell starts. All existing crossings above and below the B12 should be preserved, with the exception of a dirt road underpass. In addition, a new bridge and a seepage basin with oil separator near the Hawe hydraulics is planned. The improvement of the traffic flow on the distribution scope on Augsburger Strasse is also on the agenda.

To guarantee noise protection, special noise -reducing road surfaces made of splitmastix are to be used. At the Germaringen junction, noise barriers are planned due to the close development. The planning approval procedure will be submitted to the government of Swabia in summer, with an expected decision by the end of the year.

Legal challenges and nature conservation

However, there are legal challenges, because there are already three lawsuits against the expansion at the administrative court. These make property purchases or a start of construction unlikely. Richard Mergner, Chairman of the Bund Naturschutz (BN) in Bavaria, described the expansion plans as a "attack on the Allgäu". The BN also plans to sue the building permit in front of the Bavarian Administrative Court. In the lawsuit, considerable content and formal defects in the planning approval decision are cited in terms of traffic safety. Doubts about the traffic forecast and the examination of environmental compatibility are other issues. The argument that the expansion increases security is also questioned because the number of accidents used comes from 2013 to 2017.

supporters of the expansion, such as the CSU, the free voters and the Swabian IHK, argue that the B12 is an important lifeline for the economy. Average 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles are currently on the B12 between Buchloe and Kempten on working days, which speaks for a traffic gain. Here the need for expansion is underlined, especially with regard to safety on this busy route.

Extensive to these discussions, the background of the environmental impact assessments (RRP) should be mentioned. In April 2014, the EU UVP directive was changed, which places the requirements for traffic planning, whereby environmental and nature conservation aspects in particular have to be taken into account. The amendments that have been developed since then should ensure that the relevant environmental impacts are made transparent to the public (https://www.fgsv.de/netzwerk/ag-2-strassenzthrt/29-und-naturschutz/293-uvp-in-strasse planning) emphasized.

Overall, the upcoming expansion of the B12 bundles both business perspectives and ecological challenges that will be pushing for a solution in the coming months.