Referendum launched against motorway expansion
At a time of climate change and species decline, the Swiss Parliament wants to expand the motorways. Resistance is forming against these plans.
The Parliament's motorway expansion plans are meeting with resistance.
The Swiss Transport Club (VCS) and the organisation Umverkehr have, as announced, launched the signature collection for a referendum.
In the view of opponents of the proposal, it is essential that voters have the final say on the question of motorway expansion, as stated in a communiqué. Following the clear yes to the Climate Protection Act on 18 June, a halt to road construction rather than expansion was called for.
The VCS speaks of a desired “stop to the motorway construction madness.” The 2023 expansion phase for national roads is “excessive, outdated and overpriced.”
In particular, the enormous costs of a motorway expansion were met with incomprehension. The expansion would bring no improvement to traffic flow, but would only exacerbate the problems. Wider motorways would inevitably lead to more traffic, longer traffic jams, more air pollution, noise and rising CO₂ emissions.
Broad alliance mounts resistance
By the end of the year, the lead organisation VCS aims to collect the necessary 50’000 signatures for a referendum. The collection deadline expires on 18 January 2024.
According to its own statements, the VCS is supported by a broadly based alliance of further organisations, parties and associations, including the Alpine Initiative, Greenpeace, SP, the Greens and Umverkehr.
Opponents further argue that the billions planned for the motorways would be better invested in promoting public transport as well as pedestrian and cycling traffic. The motorway expansion was out of step with the times, harmful to the climate and biodiversity, and destructive to valuable agricultural land.
Expansion of motorway lanes
According to the published Federal Decree on the 2023 expansion stage for national roads, 5.3 billion is to be invested in the construction of new motorways. The National Council approved the proposal at the end of September with 107 votes to 87, with one abstention, and the Council of States with 33 votes to 6, with 5 abstentions.
Between Schönbühl BE and Kirchberg BE, the A1 is to be expanded to six lanes. Eight lanes are planned between Bern-Wankdorf and Schönbühl. In western Switzerland, the A1 between Le Vengeron GE and Nyon VD is to be widened to six lanes. In addition, a third tube of the Rosenberg Tunnel on the A1 near St. Gallen and a second tube of the Fäsenstaubtunnel on the A4 in Schaffhausen are to be built.
Furthermore, the A2 eastern bypass in the Basel area is to be sustainably relieved of through traffic by means of a new Rhine tunnel between Birsfelden BL and Kleinhüningen BS.
