Lobau Tunnel: ECJ decides on the future of a controversial project!

Lobau Tunnel: ECJ decides on the future of a controversial project!

The controversial Lobau Tunnel remains in the legal firing line. The Federal Administrative Court has applied to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a preliminary ruling on open questions in connection with the inclusion of the Lobau Tunnel in the Federal Roads Act. The reason is justified doubts about the approval's conformity with European law, such as ots.at reported. The Green Party's transport policy spokesman, Lukas Hammer, sees this development as an opportunity for a fundamental reassessment of the project. He points out that compliance with the European SEA Directive is questionable and that there is already considerable ambiguity that could affect the approvals granted.

These legal uncertainties permeate the entire planning process for the Lobau Tunnel. Water regulations are also at the center of the storm: the court has decided to also refer questions about water law to the ECJ. While the Autobahn and Expressway Financing Corporation (Asfinag) remains optimistic and believes that the approvals will also apply at European level, environmental groups are skeptical. Loud vienna.at The NGO Virus demonstrated through a report from the University of Innsbruck that the project lacked a legal basis in the Federal Highway Act and that a strategic environmental assessment was not carried out. These deficiencies could be crucial for the progress of the plans.

Although the construction of the tunnel was stopped under the previous government in 2021, the new government is bringing the project back into play, especially the sub-project between Seestadt Aspern and the S1 is coming into focus. Transport Minister Peter Hanke (SPÖ) has already signaled his approval for the tunnel construction, which could further spark the discussion about the billion-dollar project. However, skepticism remains at the base: critics continue to argue that the tunnel will not bring any meaningful traffic relief, but will simply promote additional debt and environmentally harmful emissions.