German court clears construction of A445 motorway

The Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) has dismissed lawsuits against the construction of the A445 motorway between Hamm and Werl. The decision allows the project to proceed, with only a minor planning detail requiring further supplementation.

The eight-kilometer stretch is intended to connect the A2 motorway in the north with the A44 in the south, aiming to relieve traffic on the heavily used Bundesstraße 63.

Lawsuits were filed by the North Rhine-Westphalia State Association for Nature and Environmental Protection (Landesgemeinschaft Naturschutz und Umwelt NRW) and a local resident. The plaintiffs argued that the project violated environmental and nature conservation laws, specifically regarding species protection, water rights, and climate protection goals under the Climate Protection Act. A private plaintiff also raised concerns regarding noise protection.

The court ruled that the planning did not contain errors regarding water law, species protection, or climate protection. Regarding the Bewerbach stream, which must be relocated by 75 meters to accommodate the motorway, the court found that the measures would not violate the European Water Framework Directive. The court also determined that noise protection concerns for the private resident had been appropriately addressed.