Forest fires, Droughts, Weather disasters. In view of the recurring reports about the catastrophic consequences of global climate change, the construction of a motorway seems out of date. The city of Kassel has two such construction projects: The A49 is to connect Kassel with Giessen, the A44 from Kassel from the direction of Harleshausen to Thuringia will be extended. Because the building projects do not at all reflect the necessary rethinking of climate, environment- and transport policy according toächen, there has been political resistance for years.
Most of the year 2020 activists occupied the Dannenröder forest in central Hesse. With a huge police force- and material supply the forest was eventually cleared and at the beginning of December the last tree on the planned route for the further construction of the A49 was felled. The occupiers had announced further resistance after the evacuation. New line-ups, as last in mid-February 2021 in the neighboring Maulbach forest to prevent a power line for motorway construction, were however quickly evacuated by the police.
The second Hessian motorway project is slowly moving into the focus of local climate justice- and environmental movement: the further construction of the A44 from Kassel towards Harleshausen. The project was carried out as part of the "German Unity Transport Project" 1991 decided. Parts of this motorway have also already been built - as with the A49 - and specifically the construction of the last few kilometers through the Stiftswald and the Lossetal.
According to the current state of planning, this would require approx. 41 ha of forest cleared and more 80 ha Acker- and green spaces are used. So, taken together, they are tight 170 Soccer fields Vegetation area partly sealed with asphalt, in some cases, the existing ecosystem is sustainably interfered with in other ways.
Motorway construction a fatal political signal in view of the climate crisis
The arguments against continuing the A44 are similar to those against the A49. A healthy mixed forest, that can bind climate-damaging CO2, is being cut down for a motorway, on the even more CO2- Emissions would be released. Agricultural land and meadows, which could also bind CO2, are sealed. In addition, a drinking water well must be shut down for the time the motorway is being built, which is currently an important source of drinking water for the municipality of Kaufungen.
But also, if one evaluates these additional emissions as insignificant compared to the total emissions in Germany, the construction of a motorway is a fatal political sign in view of the global climate crisis. In its latest press release, the Alliance "No A44" fest: “The ongoing environmental destruction caused by road construction must end and be a sign of the urgency of ecologically sustainable and socially just transport- and mobility turnaround. "
In addition, there is the construction of the A44 with its many tunnels and bridges, which are necessary, to even be able to build a motorway through the hilly landscape of North Hesse, very expensive. With 2,4 Billion euros for 70 km distance it is according to HNA the "most expensive motorway in the world".
The planning approval process has started
But in contrast to the Dannenröder Forest, it will take a few more years, until the first trees in the collegiate forest are to be cleared. The project is currently still in the so-called plan approval process. In such a process, the plans for a construction project like the A44 are made public and finalized. So-called objections can also be made in this phase. All, that are affected in any way by the construction project, can use it to discuss their concerns and express objections. Ideally, these objections should be taken into account by the planning approval authority in weighing up all concerns and interests and thus incorporated into the planning of the project.
Such a procedure has already been implemented 2006 started for the first time and had to be canceled due to numerous concerns and contradictions from Kaufunger citizens. The point of contention at the time was noise protection, Effects on agriculture around Kaufungen, Effects on numerous local animal species as well as air pollution from the route planned at the time for the A44. As a result, the plans were revised and now again made public. According to the regional council as the responsible authority, the plans should be in Kaufungen after the Easter holidays, Health, Niestetal, Lohfelden and Kassel. On the question, when citizens can express their concerns about the plans with objections to the authority, the press spokeswoman for the regional council could not give a clear answer.
The “No A44” alliance has so far organized several forest walks in the Stiftswald, to inform all interested parties about the effects of the planned motorway construction. Most recently, these walks were always combined with a bicycle demonstration from Kassel to Oberkaufungen. The next goal of the initiative is, to draw attention to the possibility of objections, to organize as many objections as possible to the A44.