Billions for National Roads: National Council approves highway projects

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You have to give the Federal Roads Office (Astra) one thing: it has a knack for timing. An hour before the debate in the National Council on the widening of the highways, the Astra published the figures on traffic intensity in 2022 on Tuesday. And there are quite a few. An accident?

According to the traffic development report, traffic on the highways was blocked for a total of 39,863 hours last year. Compared to 2021, this corresponds to an increase of 22.7 percent. File! It is the highest value ever measured.

Traffic jam due to congestion on the roads

According to the Astra, more than 85 percent of all hours of traffic jams are due to congestion on the roads. In many places, the highways are so heavily congested that even minor disruptions lead to long-lasting traffic jams.

In the debate about billions of euros for the maintenance and selective expansion of the motorways, the National Council waved on four proposals from the Federal Council on Tuesday.

Billions for maintenance and expansion

The National Council approved 8.8 billion for the operation, maintenance and modifications of the national road network in the years 2024 to 2027. On the other hand, the state government wants to expand the national roads for 4.4 billion. These expansion projects are especially controversial.

The National Council has approved CHF 2.4 billion for the expansion of motorways near Bern and in the Basel region. It concerns the widening of the motorway between Bern and Kirchberg BE and a new tunnel under the Rhine. The loan applications from the Federal Council still have to be submitted to the Council of States.

It was still open late Tuesday afternoon whether the large chamber would also approve money for a third tube in the Rosenbergtunnel near St. Gallen and for a second tube in the Fäsenstaubtunnel near Schaffhausen. The National Council also debated an extension of the A1 between Le Vengeron GE and Nyon VD.

Climate protection against population growth

In the debate, representatives of Links-Groen said that the expansion of highways is outdated. The aim is to protect the climate and to shift or even better avoid traffic. Traffic jams would only be moved to other places with road widening, but not prevented.

Members of the Mitte, FDP and SVP countered that the number of kilometers on the autobahns has increased more than on other roads in the past thirty years, namely by 137 percent since 1990. In addition, population growth in Switzerland also means traffic growth. It is important to expand both road and rail. (Okay)

Source:Blick