Schwalmstadt (dpa/lhe) - After around eleven years of construction and a much longer planning period, a section of the Autobahn 49 in northern Hesse will be opened to traffic this Thursday (1.30 p.m.). So far, the route was only passable between Kassel and Neuental, now it goes 11.8 kilometers further to Schwalmstadt. The A49 in this area leads, among other things, over four viaducts and a 900 meter long tunnel. The Federal Motorway Company estimates the cost of the route at around 250 million euros.
The A49 is to lead from Kassel and the A7 to central Hesse to the future Ohmtal triangle with a connection to the A5. The two remaining and highly controversial sections of the new route in central Hesse are still under construction. The traffic release is expected there for 2024.
Critics of the transport project have called for a rally to be held near the traffic opening event on Thursday.
