Spectacular Albaufstieg: New tunnels and biodiversity with fruit trees!

Spectacular Albaufstieg: New tunnels and biodiversity with fruit trees!

An important infrastructure project is pending in Baden-Württemberg: the expansion of the albaufstieg, which is the largest measure of this kind in the country, will significantly modernize the A8 motorway between Mühlhausen and Hohenstadt. The new route will not only be shorter and flatter, but also safer, thanks to two tunnels and two bridges, each offer three tracks and a hard shoulder. This project was recently presented in Gruibingen, in the Göppingen district, and includes numerous environmentally friendly aspects that we would like to take a closer look at. As Autobahn GmbH explains Südwest branch, this also means a legal compensation for nature that is affected by the construction work. Detailed information can be found at .

A particularly exciting element of the project is the planting of around 1,000 fruit trees. Almost 400 of these trees have already been placed in the earth, the remaining should follow. The project relies on a variety of 750 types of fruit, many of them are historical or rare varieties, some of which go back to the 12th century. The Luiken apple, which was once the preferred variety in Württemberg in the 19th century, must be emphasized under the trees. This initiative is not only important for nature, but also for the cultural history of the region, as the SWR reports: SWR Aktuell .

environmental and nature conservation in focus

The orchards created, which arise on a total of 4.4 hectares on motorway own areas, are part of the concept for ensuring and maintaining the orchards in Baden-Württemberg. These efforts are not only required by law, but also urgently required, because in the past ten years there has been 17% decline in the orchards. The reasons for this include clearing for construction projects and the abandoned care of the orchards. In order to counteract this, the Ministry of Nutrition, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection has launched the 2030 orchard. The website of the Ministry reports: Baden-württemberg .

Therefore, measures are also taken to support management, processing and marketing or marketer products. The initiative of the "The Swabian Obstarche Fils-Alb" interest group, which is transferred to a foundation, aims to maintain the variety of fruit and to better market the products from the orchards. Around 30 volunteers are already committed to ensuring the preservation of this valuable cultural landscape.

an integral part of the region

The overall project not only has the side effect to relieve the motorway between Stuttgart and Ulm, but also forms part of the European long -distance cycle path. In the future, the old A8-Aichelberg-Trasse will be converted into a new national cycle path, which is lined with a half-ally from fruit trees. This will not only benefit the cyclists, but also upgrade the natural landscape.

The challenges that nature and agriculture stand in the region are big, and yet the expansion and measures around the orchards are taken in the right direction. It is to be hoped that the efforts to stop the decline in orchards and to create a higher perception for these valuable cultural assets are also successful in the long term.