Colon tunnel in criticism: Green demand the billion dollar project!

Colon tunnel in criticism: Green demand the billion dollar project!

In a dramatic turnaround for the controversial Lobaut tunnel in Vienna, the Federal Administrative Court made an application for a preliminary ruling to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). This is done in the middle of growing concerns whether the inclusion of the project in the Federal Roads Act is in line with European requirements. This development is considered a significant step that not only raises legal questions, but could also endanger the plans of the new government with regard to the billion dollar project. "This shows that the Federal Administrative Court also has justified doubts about the fact that the admission of the Lobau Autobahn in the Federal Reasards Act was okay under European law," said the environmental spokesman for the Greens, Lukas Hammer, and asked everyone involved to seriously deal with the situation ( OTS ).

Environmental spokesman Hammer described the lobaut tunnel as a "ancient project" and warned that he could not achieve the government's climate goals in Europe. Lukas Hammer critically commented on the Federal Government's priorities, which despite a deficient budget wanted to invest billions in motorway projects that would only increase traffic. The already stopped construction of the tunnel by the former Minister of Climate Protection Leonore Gewessler is now being brought back into conversation, since Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke described it as "very important for the federal capital and for the Ostegion" ( orf.at ).

legal conformity and future developments

The legal uncertainties around the Lobautunnel could have serious effects on already granted permits. Hammer said that these could be questioned if it turns out that the registration of the project does not correspond to the EU requirements. "We Greens welcome that the European law issue shown in a legal report at the University of Innsbruck in the summer of 2024 is now quickly presented to the ECJ for clarification," he added. This decision not only reflects the legal concerns, but could also bring a paradigm shift in transport policy by focusing on alternative mobility approaches such as rail transport and public transport ( OTS ).