The state of Lower Austria has submitted an application to stop the “Strategic Traffic Review” for the Vienna Outer Ring Motorway (S1) with the Lobau tunnel. According to an audit by a law firm, the process initiated by Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) is illegal.
The federal government must “carry out necessary federal road projects to relieve the population,” demanded Mobility Councilor Ludwig Schleritzko (ÖVP) in a broadcast. The Ministry of Climate Protection had initiated the process for the S1 (route Süsenbrunn to Schwechat with Lobau crossing) in a letter dated September 28 and requested, among others, the state of Niederösterreich to submit a statement before November 24.
“Not Declared Indefinitely”
The state commissioned Fellner Wratzfeld & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH (fwp) to investigate the process. According to the legal analysis, the procedure is illegal, among other things, because it “is not conducted in a stated manner with an open outcome,” it said. Gewessler wants to remove the project from the law, the “strategic review” is a condition for this.
The people of the Marchfeld want a quick construction
“The S1 project has been part of the applicable federal road law for more than 20 years, has been under investigation for many years and must now be implemented by the federal government as soon as possible to relieve through traffic,” said Schleritzko. The population of the Marchfeld also expects the federal government to quickly build the Marchfeld Highway (S8).
In its statement to the ministry, the state of Niederösterreich has requested that the procedure regarding a proposed network change “can no longer be continued as completely illegal” under Section 4 of the Federal Law on Strategic Assessments in the Transport Sector (SP-V – Setz).
“In addition, the procedure under the fwp is intended to result in an arbitrary individual legal override of a legally binding decision (= the granted EIA approval for the S1 project),” it said. According to the broadcast, the process would undermine the guidelines for the trans-European transport networks.
Source: Krone

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.