Heavy trucks have not been allowed to drive on the Luitpoldstrasse between Höhenkirchen and Hohenbrunn since the beginning of the year – actually. The District Office issued this order for the section between the intersection with Wächterhofstrasse and the roundabout on Siegertsbrunner Strasse. And yet one looks in vain for corresponding prohibition signs there to this day. The reason: the order has not yet been implemented, according to the district office responsible for the district road. And further: “This happened at the request of the Hohenbrunn municipal council.” Which is surprising in that the restriction for trucks over 7.5 tons, according to the district office, was worked out with the Hohenbrunn town hall.
The background to the back and forth is the new gravel pit on the Muna site in Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn. The district office recently approved it – despite criticism from the municipal council, from a citizens’ initiative and from the municipality of Hohenbrunn. Because this is expected to bear the brunt of the gravel traffic. Ultimately, the trucks will reach the pit primarily via Luitpoldstraße – past the Luitpoldsiedlung. Therefore, his community insisted on the district office to check the Luitpoldstraße for its suitability for gravel traffic, says Hohenbrunn Mayor Stefan Straßmair (CSU). After all, the connection is narrow in many places, only equipped with a narrow sidewalk and only one lane at the underpass. According to Straßmair, school children are also on the move in the area of the Wächterhof S-Bahn station, which, in combination with the trucks, can lead to dangerous situations.
“It goes past schools and kindergartens, you can’t want that under any circumstances”
In fact, the examination of the district office showed that the Luitpoldstraße is not suitable for the daily traffic of dozens of gravel trucks. “Due to the narrow width of the M 11 district road, oncoming traffic is often not possible there today,” says the district office. “More heavy traffic would exacerbate the situation.” As a result, that driving ban for trucks over 7.5 tons was decided. But before this was implemented, he intervened in accordance with a municipal council decision at the district office, reports Straßmair. Ultimately, such a ban would mean that heavy goods traffic would flow via Siegertsbrunner Straße and through the center of Hohenbrunn. “It goes past schools and kindergartens, you can’t want that under any circumstances,” says the head of the town hall. In addition, the trucks would exacerbate the already high traffic congestion in the center.
The district office reports on how to proceed: “The concrete effects caused by the additional heavy goods traffic will first be observed and then a decision made again.” After all, the gravel pit in Siegertsbrunn has not yet gone into operation; but this should happen in the near future. In any case, blocking the Luitpoldstrasse for heavy trucks “would not be a long-term solution,” according to the district office. “The road traffic authority is only authorized to take provisional measures until the road is completely safe for traffic again. This certainly requires structural measures in the affected area of the road, so it is not to be expected in the short term.” Stefan Straßmair also considers a conversion to be necessary. He also advocates “as a first step” for extending the 30 km/h limit, which currently only applies to the underpass, to the entire section of the route – “at least for trucks,” according to the mayor.
In the meantime, the debate has also reached the municipal council in Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, as Luitpoldstraße is in its local area. Roland Spingler (CSU) warned that blocking heavy trucks would lead to more trucks passing through town – “that’s not in our interest”. And Otto Bußjäger (independent citizens) called on the town hall to support the neighboring municipality of Hohenbrunn “so that the deficits in this district road can be remedied”. Mayor Mindy Konwitschny (SPD) insisted on a “quick solution”, but pointed out that “we cannot dictate to truck drivers which route they take”. The gravel trucks were an exception, after all, the owner of the Siegertsbrunner pit has contractually committed to his trucks avoiding the through-town of Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn as much as possible.
In Hohenbrunn, meanwhile, it is hoped that the gravel quarrying can still be stopped by legal means. Not only the community, but also the Bund Naturschutz and a local resident have filed lawsuits, says Stefan Straßmair. The insufficient development of the gravel pit from his point of view could be of importance. “Because it is now becoming apparent,” says the mayor, “that the two district roads that are intended for access are not suitable for this traffic load”.