The Association for Nature Conservation in Bavaria has announced a lawsuit against the planned expansion of the A 8 from Munich towards Salzburg. The project is “in its overall expansion the most climate-damaging road construction project in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan for Bavaria”, which has not yet been implemented, according to a statement from the BN on Monday. Specifically, the lawsuit is directed against the planned six-lane expansion between Achenmühle and Bernauer Berg in the Rosenheim district. There is now a planning approval decision from the government of Upper Bavaria for this section, against which the Federal Nature Conservation Association together with the citizens’ initiative “A 8 – Citizens Set Limits” can take action in court.
The substance of the A 8 towards Salzburg dates back to the 1930s and, according to the wishes of the National Socialists, its route was intended to demonstrate the scenic majesty of the homeland. It no longer meets today’s standards and today’s traffic volume on large stretches. Between Rosenheim and Traunstein it usually only has two lanes in each direction. According to the plans of the federal government and its motorway company, it should be widened to three lanes each plus a hard shoulder. From the point of view of the BN and other critics, two new hard shoulders would be sufficient.