Dangerous delays in highway construction loom due to multimillion-dollar shortfalls - Massive financial shortfalls jeopardize the timely completion of upcoming highway construction initiatives
In a recent development, the German Press Agency has received a paper from the Bundestag's Transport Committee, highlighting the need for significant additional investments for the Federal Highway Company's news-based measures. The paper was submitted in Berlin. The funding issue is related to the new financing and implementation plan for 2025-2029 by the Federal Highway Company. According to the paper, there is a shortage of news, estimated to be around 5.5 billion euros by 2029, which could potentially delay many planned highway news in Germany. This news gap affects not only the maintenance of federal roads and highways but also their construction and planning. The expansion and new construction of highways in Germany are at risk due to this shortfall in news. The table provided to the German Press Agency lists 74 affected projects, including expansions and new constructions of highways. The shortfall in news is attributed to the Federal Ministry of Transport, which has failed to secure additional news for railway projects in the coming years. Interestingly, the paper does not specify the exact amount of the news gap for railway projects. However, it is known that the expansion and new construction of federal railways also face a funding gap. The financial gap of 5.5 billion euros through the Federal Autobahn Company (Bundesautobahn-Gesellschaft) until 2029 was announced by Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Patrick Schnieder. The funding shortfall prevents the issuance of new construction permits for "needs-based projects." According to Bild newspaper, there is a shortage of approximately 15 billion euros for maintenance, construction, and planning of federal roads and highways by 2029. Moreover, the Federal Ministry of Transport has indicated a clear underfunding for investments in rest areas. The ministry has not been successful in persuading the federal government to provide additional news for the budgets of 2025, 2026, and financial planning up to 2029 for railway projects. This issue is not limited to maintenance but also includes construction and planning of federal roads and highways. The paper, seen by dpa, indicates a funding gap for other investments, such as rest areas, in addition to highways. The delay in these projects could have significant implications for Germany's infrastructure and economy. It remains to be seen how this situation will be addressed in the coming months.
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