Hesse plans renovation of 450 kilometers of state roads by 2030

Selection of Projects

Mansoori sees in the funding the guarantee for an "intaktes und zukunftsfähiges Straßennetz." When presenting the program on Monday, he emphasized that with the federal special fund, substantial funding for renovations was now available for the first time. The black-red state government of CDU and SPD is thus responding to the renovation backlog in Hesse's road network, which has been known for years.

The state road network, for whose condition the Hessian government is responsible, is approximately 7,200 kilometers long. From around 2,000 possible renovations, the 333 projects were selected. Nearly two-thirds of these road construction projects are not new but already planned. In some cases, work is already underway. In total, Mansoori has 333 renovation measures on his list, which were classified as priority.

Concrete Projects in the State Network

In the selection of roads to be renovated, however, the economic significance weighed more heavily than before. These are roads that are no wider than seven meters and are in poor condition due to heavy truck traffic. Priorities lie with bridges and the renovation of town passes. "Das ist ganz klassisch die schlechte Ortsdurchfahrt, die rumpelt, die laut ist," said Torsten Bertram from the state agency Hessen Mobil.

The list of priority projects includes, among others, the renewal of the road surface of the L 3040 between the A60 interchange and Ginsheim in the Groß-Gerau district. Also included is the fundamental renewal of the L 3276 between Kittelhütte and Schmitten/Niederreifenberg in the Hochtaunuskreis. In state road construction, Hesse is focusing on maintaining the existing network and is thus following the criterion of the economic significance of the respective route.

Criticism from the Opposition

The opposition Greens, on the other hand, determined: Despite the special fund, Hesse is treading water when it comes to renovating its roads. The coalition is leaving "die Menschen in Hessen mit den Buckelpisten und kaputten Brücken in ihren Dörfern und Städten allein." Walther also complained that the construction of cycling paths was not even worth a mention from Transport Minister Mansoori.

Criticism also came from the AfD as the largest opposition party in the state parliament. The AfD misses the construction of new roads. In order to cope with rising traffic volumes, however, more new roads would also have to be built. "Darauf warten wir bislang vergeblich," said Schwaier. At the same time, the AfD's transport policy spokesperson acknowledged that, unlike his predecessor from the Greens, Mansoori had recognized how necessary the renovation of state roads is.

The criteria according to which a project is prioritized are clearly regulated in the program. In addition to the economic significance of a route, the condition of the road surface, traffic volume, and the share of heavy goods traffic are included in the assessment. The program is intended to ensure that the funds are used as efficiently as possible and that the most problematic points in the state network are repaired first.

With a view to the coming years, the program is considered a central building block of Hessian transport policy. The state government sees the funds made available as a sufficient basis to noticeably improve the state road network in the coming years. At the same time, it remains to be seen how the funds from the special fund will actually affect the renovation rate and whether the opposition will be heard with its criticism.