Noticeable noise reduction: Sound protection wall planned in Gelnhausen-Höchst!

Noticeable noise reduction: Sound protection wall planned in Gelnhausen-Höchst!

On January 30, 2025, Michael Neuner, the SPD Bundestag candidate for constituency 174, took part in a meeting with residents of the L3333 and the A66 in Gelnhausen-Höchst. The aim was to find out about the current status of the project "New construction of the soundproofing wall A66". At this meeting, Werner Böhm and Wolfgang Werner presented a comprehensive temporary line -up of the project from 2015 to the present. Since 2015, when the topic of Hessen Mobil was taken up, however, there is a lack of clear time perspectives for the residents.

The citizens have asked for binding information regarding the schedule, but these inquiries have so far remained unanswered. In 2021, the project passed to Autobahn GmbH, which did not improve the information situation. The Federal Ministry of Transport announced in November 2024 that a award procedure for planning was running. The dimensioning of the noise barrier should be available by mid -2025, according to which it should be built, but there are also no concrete appointments.

delays and demands for acceleration

Werner Böhm criticized the lack of parallelism of the necessary processes and the associated delays. Michael Neuner also showed himself solidarity with the residents and announced that the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Area. Neuner called for an acceleration of the project and emphasized that the residents in Gelnhausen-Höchst have been waiting for a solution for too long.

In the region there are also other infrastructural construction sites. The construction of the underpass for the railway near Gelnhausen-Hailer is in full corridor in the course of the route expansion and is to be completed by July 2024. Autobahn GmbH presented its construction program for 2023 in a press conference. The West branch, which is responsible for the Rhine-Main and parts of South Hesse, plans investments of 180 million euros in motorways and bridges in Hesse this year.

important projects in the region

The most important projects are the completion of the Salzbach Valley Bridge near Wiesbaden and the Riederwald tunnel in Frankfurt, which should be completed in 2031. On the other hand, no major projects are planned on the A66 between Gelnhausen and Fulda, apart from the replacement building of the underpass at Gelnhausen-Hailer. A new, wider motorway bridge is being built in parallel to the existing bridge, whereby the bridge in the direction of Fulda has already been completed. The remaining work is expected for spring 2025.

The need for noise protection measures on motorways and other federal highways is undisputed and affects a significant part of the population. According to Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure , over 5 billion euros have been invested on roads since 1978. Both active and passive noise protection measures are used to comply with the statutory immission limit values. These measures are particularly important because they significantly influence the quality of life of the residents.