Vast Financial Gaps Pose Risks for Delayed Completion of Highway Construction Initiatives
The Federal Ministry of Transport has announced a funding crisis that could impact the rail network budgets for 2025, 2026, and the financial planning up to 2029. The crisis also extends to the expansion and new construction of highways, with 74 planning projects in various federal states, including North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Rhineland-Palatinate, expected to receive 'binding construction rights' by 2029.
Jens Hilgenberg, a traffic expert from BUND, suggests prioritising maintenance for highways and halting new construction, although this focus is not explicitly mentioned for the rail network. The funding gap for maintenance, construction, and planning of federal roads and highways is estimated to reach approximately 15 billion euros by 2029, according to the 'Bild' newspaper.
The billion-dollar special fund, a debt-financed reserve, prioritises the renovation of transport infrastructure, including the repair of dilapidated bridges, which is a priority within the fund. However, the funding gap means that significant additional investments are required for the expansion and new construction of highways due to increased construction prices.
The crisis has also affected other investments, such as rest areas, and has led to a noticeable and short-term deterioration of road surfaces, potentially leading to restrictions on traffic. The financing of federal highways is not secured in many areas for the coming years, according to the adopted medium-term financial planning.
Christoph Ploß, a traffic politician and Hamburg CDU member of the Bundestag, has expressed concern over the potential cancellation of important new construction projects such as the A20, A26, and A39. However, no specific information about the locations of the projects or their potential impact on traffic has been provided.
The funding gap is due to the new 'Financing and Realization Plan' 2025-2029 of the Federal Highway Company. The crisis also threatens the rail network, with no new funds available for new construction and expansion projects in the coming years. This could potentially lead to a significant impact on Germany's transportation infrastructure in the near future.
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