Podcast: Trough or bridge? Bitter truth about the Hagsfeld southern bypass

The solution for the Hagsfeld southern bypass is about to be decided – but the costs for the currently planned underpass (“trough solution”) have now almost doubled to around 132 million euros. In addition, according to the plans, around 3.6 million euros will be incurred annually in operating and maintenance costs. Against this background, the voters’ group FÜR Karlsruhe is urgently warning against a long-term financial overload of the city budget.

In the new podcast episode “Trough or bridge? Bitter truth about the Hagsfeld southern bypass”, Micha Schlittenhardt and city councillor Friedemann Kalmbach (FÜR Karlsruhe) discuss why they believe the trough solution could turn out to be a financial mistake with considerable risks for future generations. In addition to the sharp rise in construction and follow-up costs, they also discuss the ecological impact, operational risks and the question of eligibility for funding.

FÜR Karlsruhe is clearly in favor of a return to the bridge solution. This is significantly cheaper both in terms of construction and maintenance and also offers ecological advantages. The bridge option also performs better in terms of noise protection. The trough solution, on the other hand, requires an additional bridge for pedestrians and cyclists despite the underpass, leads to further land sealing and causes a significantly higher consumption of resources and energy.

Especially in times of tight budgets, the local council must honestly ask itself whether Karlsruhe can afford this project in its present form, explains city councillor Friedemann Kalmbach.

The podcast episode is intended as a contribution to the public debate and as an appeal to politicians and citizens to critically re-examine the decision on the Hagsfeld southern bypass. The electoral group FÜR Karlsruhe invites citizens to take part in the discussion and contribute their position on the future of the Hagsfeld southern bypass.