Sharp Criticism from the Greens on the Lobau Tunnel
Vienna Election top candidate Judith Pühringer emphasized at the media event that the Vienna election campaign was underway, with 38 days remaining. Important issues for the Viennese include education, kindergartens, public transport, affordable housing, and energy prices. No one had asked about the Lobau Tunnel. She criticized SPÖ Transport Minister Peter Hanke, who wanted to review the project again, even though reports evaluate the tunnel as the least favorable solution.
Gewessler Calls for Planning Alternatives to the Lobau Tunnel
The deputy Green club chairwoman and climate protection spokesperson Gewessler reminded of the recent decision by the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG), which had submitted a request for a preliminary ruling to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding the lack of legal basis in the Federal Roads Act. "The Federal Administrative Court has submitted the project to the ECJ for good reason," said Gewessler, and this simply shows "that such decisions will not be waved through in 2025." This had already been shown in the Vorarlberg expressway project S18 and the Marchfeld expressway (S8) in Lower Austria. Therefore, it is necessary to plan alternatives to the tunnel.
Lobau Tunnel "Transit Monster from the Last Millennium"
The Lobau Tunnel is certainly the worst of all alternatives, added Pühringer, referring to the strategic assessment report published in February on the relevant section of the S1 between Schwechat and Süßenbrunn - the tunnel should therefore be "buried instead of dug." The people on site would need a traffic solution, said Gewessler, and not a "transit monster from the last millennium" - fighting congestion with even more cars has never been the solution. "Everything speaks for the Lobau staying," concluded the former climate protection minister, who had ensured the temporary construction stop of the controversial project in December 2021.
(APA/Red)
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