The traffic light coalition is wrangling over the draft budget for 2025 and further financial planning. Savings are also looming in the transport sector. There are already warnings of drastic cuts.
According to a report in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”, significant cuts are planned in federal investments in motorways.
The funds for Autobahn GmbH, which builds and operates the motorways, are to be cut by 20 percent next year compared to previous plans, the newspaper writes, citing the government’s draft for the 2025 federal budget. Instead of 6.29 billion euros, there will then only be 4.99 billion euros. According to the newspaper, investments will also be cut by around one billion euros each in 2026 and 2027, and again by 378 million euros in 2028.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing stressed that “roads are our most important mode of transport. They must of course be adequately financed.” The current budget preparation process has not yet been completed. “My goal is for Autobahn GmbH to receive the full amount of investment funds it needs for 2025,” said the FDP politician.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr also pointed out that the federal budget for 2025 has not yet been finalized. He believes that cutting back on highways while record investments are being made in the railways is disproportionate, said Dürr. When drawing up the budget, the FDP parliamentary group will ensure that sufficient funds are made available for roads. A budget that saves on the renovation of roads and bridges is not forward-looking.
On Saturday, the ministry said that due to the current budget situation and the necessary savings, not all the needs for investments in transport infrastructure could currently be met. “This affects all modes of transport, i.e. road, rail and waterway equally, although the investments in transport infrastructure planned by the Ministry of Transport remain at record levels.” Due to the considerable “neglect of transport infrastructure by the last federal governments,” the investment needs are even higher than can currently be financially justified. The aim is to further increase investments within the framework of the available budget funds. This explicitly also applies to investments in motorways and federal highways.
According to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”, the cuts are even more dramatic when you consider that Autobahn GmbH has announced a higher demand than was foreseen in the current financial planning. According to the company’s internal calculations, 4.1 billion euros will be missing over the next four years for the construction, expansion, maintenance and operation of the motorways. Autobahn GmbH has increased financial needs, especially for the urgently needed bridge modernization program.
Construction industry: Germany saves on its roads and bridges
“The sad tradition of Germany saving money on its roads and bridges is unfortunately continuing,” the president of the German Construction Industry Association, Peter Hübner, told the newspaper. “For decades, too little has been invested, not even in maintenance.”
CDU transport politician Florian Müller said, “Anyone who cuts the Autobahn GmbH’s money now is behaving like an arsonist in a dry forest.” The Autobahn GmbH is already underfunded. Further cuts would mean the end of many modernizations and renovations. Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) must announce which projects he wants to cut, demanded Müller.
The ADAC is critical of the planned cuts in investment in motorways. Many motorways and especially bridges are already in a poor condition. The failure of even a single motorway bridge would have serious consequences for traffic, residents and the economy along the alternative routes.
Greenpeace traffic expert Benjamin Stephan welcomed the planned savings and called on Wissing to also explain the consequences: “With thousands of dilapidated bridges and many stretches of road in need of repair, the existing motorway network is in dire need of care.” So that the scarce money can be used specifically for renovation, Wissing should put all new construction projects on hold and have them reviewed.
Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) warned that drastic cuts at Autobahn GmbH would have a significant impact on urgently needed gaps in the road network and the renovation of motorway bridges. “And this despite the fact that the Federal Audit Office has already described the federal government’s bridge renovation plans as ‘unrealistic’ and criticised the slow pace,” said Bernreiter.
Source: Stern
