Go-ahead given

Joy and horror at the construction of the eastern bypass

The start of construction work on the Wiener Neustadt eastern bypass was accompanied by protests from road opponents.(Bild: 2024.CCO 1.0)

The go-ahead has been given for the construction of the controversial eastern bypass of Wiener Neustadt. The ring road around the city is due to be completed by 2027. However, opponents are already announcing further protests.

For some, the future road will relieve Wiener Neustadt of through traffic, for others it will lead straight to climate and environmental disaster - the eastern bypass of the country's second largest city is currently probably the most controversial road construction project in Lower Austria.

With the start of construction, we are putting an end to speculation that this project, which has been awaited for decades, will never be implemented.

Klaus Schneeberger, Bürgermeister von Wiener Neustadt

Disagreement about the costs
But despite all the protests, the go-ahead has been given to close the traffic ring around Wiener Neustadt. The final section has a length of 4.3 kilometers and is expected to cost 40 million euros. However, opponents of the project suspect that this sum could rise to up to 60 million euros.

Celebrating the start of construction for the eastern bypass: Mayor Schneeberger (center) and Provincial Councillor Landbauer (2nd from right) with representatives of Wiener Neustadt's colourful city government.(Bild: Stadt Wiener Neustadt/Weller)

More peace and quiet for city residents
Mayor Klaus Schneeberger (ÖVP) and Regional Transport Councillor Udo Landbauer (FPÖ) promise a better quality of life in the city in future, especially as the current main traffic axes Grazer Straße and Nestroy Straße are to be traffic-calmed. It is also emphasized that replacement afforestation would be "three times as large" as the clearing required for the bypass.

The flood disaster was a foretaste of what is to come if the ÖVP and FPÖ continue to cover valuable land with concrete.

Irene Nemeth, Initiative „Vernunft statt Ostumfahrung“

Opponents call for a round table
Opponents of the project speak of further "soil sealing policy", while the Greens describe the construction of the eastern bypass as a "fatal mistake in times of climate crisis". Irene Nemeth from the platform "Reason instead of the eastern bypass" calls for Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner to "press the stop button" and convene a round table for a future-oriented traffic concept.