Just a week ago, at the request of the FAZ, the Autobahn GmbH confirmed that an area of ​​exactly 2.68 hectares in the Fechenheim forest will be cleared this winter in order to be able to build the access to the Riederwald tunnel.

This Friday, the company responsible for motorway construction surprisingly announced that this work would be postponed by one year to the next felling season in winter 2022/2023.

The reason given is “pending permits”.

It also states that building rights exist for the construction of the Riederwald tunnel with the final planning approval decision.

For the tree felling, however, “further agreements under private and public law” are required.

Mechthild Harting

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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The background is that the piece of forest in Teufelsbruch, which is to be cleared for the Riederwald tunnel and thus for the planned motorway connection between A66 and A661, belongs to the city of Frankfurt.

The federal government, as the developer of the motorway, is not yet the owner.

However, this is a prerequisite for being able to fell trees on the property.

At issue is a "provisional briefing" that the Darmstadt Regional Council would have to issue.

This would ultimately expropriate the city of Frankfurt.

The autobahn company, as the owner, must also have this permit if it wants to take action against the dozen activists who have been occupying trees in the Teufelsbruch since the federal election.

The environmentalists have set up a vigil and are building more and more tree houses.

On the other hand, the building law, which has been in force since spring 2020, stands for the connection between the two motorways in the east of Frankfurt, which has been controversial for decades, the central element of which is the 1.1 kilometer long Riederwald tunnel through the district of the same name. The project started in spring 2020. The Erlenbruch motorway triangle, the connection to the A661, has now been completed. To this end, a number of trees were felled around the triangle last winter.

As the Autobahn GmbH announced on Friday, it wants to start as planned with laying out the western and eastern tunnel pits.

The clearing work would have no effect on this.

The GmbH is also convinced that it will be able to meet the deadlines for the motorway project despite the delay.

As planned, the construction of the tunnel will begin in 2023.

The end of construction is planned for 2031.