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The way is clear for a new Axenstrasse: the environmental organizations are giving up their opposition to the billion dollar project.
The “Intercantonal Axenkomitee for a reasonable transport policy” has long resisted the planned new Axenstrasse, most recently with a complaint to the Federal Administrative Court. But now it’s giving up, as Django Betschart confirms: “We lost in court and could take the judgment to the Federal Supreme Court – but we have come to the conclusion that this would not make sense,” says the manager of the Alpine Initiative, which belongs to the opponents’ committee .
New Axenstrasse comes into the mountain
This means that the projected new Axenstrasse, which is expected to cost around CHF 1.2 billion, can now finally be built. Instead of on a steep rock face directly on Lake Uri, as is the case today, the new Axenstrasse is to run largely in the mountain.
This means that the connection, over which up to 16,000 cars and trucks thunder from north to south on peak days, is better protected against falling rocks. Falling boulders mean that the Axenstrasse has to be closed again and again today – it was last closed for around twelve hours a few days ago.
Public pressure on the associations increased
The road also made headlines in July: a driver crashed into a rock face, whereupon his vehicle spun across the roadway, smashed through a railing and fell 45 meters into Lake Lucerne.
Events like these have apparently also increased the pressure on environmental groups. “Every time the road had to be closed again, there were anonymous letters, hateful e-mails, and sometimes calls in the middle of the night. That also had an impact on our decision,” says Django Betschart.
Every time the road had to be closed again, anonymous letters, hateful e-mails, and sometimes calls in the middle of the night arrived.
Many people have blamed the environmental organizations for the fact that there is no progress at the north-south bottleneck on the Axen. A responsibility that Betschart rejects.
After all, the federal government took its time planning the road project, as did the Federal Administrative Court, which examined the complaint against it.
The existing road should be traffic-calmed
The environmental associations did not object to the new, safer alignment of the Axenstrasse per se, but to an increase in capacity. Their fear: If a new road is built and the old one remains open to traffic, traffic could increase massively, which would run counter to the Alpine Initiative.
Legend:
Not an uncommon picture: Today’s Axenstrasse is repeatedly closed due to falling rocks.
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
In fact, the federal government and the cantons involved have now been commissioned to take structural measures to reduce the capacity of the existing road as soon as the new Axenstrasse is in operation. His committee has therefore achieved substantial improvements in the project, even if the complaint was ultimately dismissed in court, says Django Betschart.
One will now continue to get involved, for example to ensure that the existing road is traffic-calmed and attractive for people who are on foot or by bike.
From 2031 cars could roll through a new tunnel
The first preparatory work for the construction of the new Axenstrasse started earlier, and it is likely to be pushed ahead soon. The Axenstrasse is scheduled to go into operation around 2031. It will be financed 94 percent by the federal government, with the cantons of Uri and Schwyz taking on the rest.