According to a media report, the Federal Ministry of Transport wants to cut investments in transport routes. Billions are to be saved, especially on motorways. Environmental groups complain about inconsistency.
The Federal Ministry of Transport is apparently planning massive cuts in investments in transport routes. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) reports, citing a government draft of the federal budget, that cuts will run into billions. The Ministry of Transport indirectly confirmed this and referred to the “current budget situation and necessary savings”. Environmentalists sensed a “media coup”.
According to the FAS report, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) wants to cut funding for the federal Autobahn GmbH from the previously planned 6.29 billion euros to 4.99 billion euros for the coming year. Further cuts of one billion euros each are planned for 2026 and 2027, and 378 million euros are to be saved for 2028.
Investment needs is higher than “financially viable”
The Ministry of Transport explained that the investment requirement was “higher than is currently financially viable”. This affected “all modes of transport, i.e. road (motorways and federal highways), rail and waterways equally”. The investments in transport infrastructure planned by the Ministry, however, remained at record levels.
The spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transport referred to the ongoing internal government coordination of the 2025 budget and the financial planning for the following years. “It is our goal to further increase investments in transport infrastructure within the framework of the available budget funds,” he added. “This explicitly also applies to investments in motorways and federal highways.”
Less money for Autobahn GmbH
According to the FAS, the cuts mean that Autobahn GmbH will receive dramatically less money than it actually needs according to its own calculations. According to the company’s internal figures, 4.1 billion euros will be short by 2028.
The German Construction Industry Association sharply criticized the cuts. Association President Peter Hübner told the FAS: “The sad tradition of Germany cutting costs and ruining its roads and bridges is unfortunately continuing.” The planned cuts would “provoke further speed limits due to road damage, lane closures and even more potholes.”
Environmental organizations see inconsistency and “trick”
The environmental organization Greenpeace described the savings plans as “refreshingly honest.” However, Wissing must also “put all new construction projects on hold and have them reviewed,” added Greenpeace transport expert Benjamin Stephan. “With current figures, such as increased construction costs, most of the planned projects are no longer economical.”
The environmental organization BUND, however, suspected a ruse: “First they stir up fears, as with the supposedly impending weekend driving bans, and then present a supposed solution,” explained Jens Hilgenberg. “In this case, the FDP ministers are probably trying to push through their plan for an infrastructure fund with money from private investors.” There are many arguments against such a plan, not least the fact that the FDP wants to push forward “nature-destructive and climate-damaging” new motorway construction projects.