Southern Germany tunnel project mooted

Plans have been drawn up for a new road tunnel in the German town of Oberau, located to the south of Munich in Bavaria. The 3km tunnel is expected to cost €204 million and forms part of the B2 route connecting Munich with Garmisch-Patenkirchen and on towards the Austrian border. The B2 in Oberau also joins with the A95 Autobahn stretch from Munich, which ends just to the north of the town. Should the project get the go ahead it would be complete by 2022. However there are issues concerned with the project, particularly concerning its funding, that have yet to be clarified. The town requires a new bypass to carry the road link as this currently passes through the centre of Oberau, resulting in congestion and delays as well as concerns over safety and urban pollution. Due to the presence of a nature reserve in the locality, the town authorities are keen for the new bypass to be located in the 3km tunnel as this would best deal with the environmental concerns while providing the improved road connectivity. Building the new bypass on the surface would not be acceptable to the town authorities.

However constructing the link through a tunnel will be the most costly option and the local authorities have said that this would require federal funding to help pay for the work. But with other towns in Bavaria also wishing to build new road tunnels, there are questions as to whether there will be sufficient federal funding available to pay for Oberau’s link.

Plans are also in hand for the construction of a €162 million tunnel through the town of Starnberg, which is also located in Bavqaria to the south of Munich and to the north of Oberau. Approval for this project has been given and construction may start in 2018.