German regions urge transport minister to approve A3 side lane

Local authorities and chambers of commerce in North Rhine‑Westphalia have jointly appealed to Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger to reverse his rejection of a temporary side‑lane opening (TSF) on the A3 between Hilden and Leverkusen‑Opladen. The coalition, which includes the district of Kreis Mettmann, the cities of Solingen, Leverkusen, Hilden and Langenfeld, as well as the Bergische and Düsseldorf IHKs, argues that the TSF is the quickest, most cost‑effective and land‑sparing way to increase capacity on this key traffic corridor.

Landrätin Dr. Bettina Warnecke emphasized that a full expansion with an additional lane would entail substantial ecological impacts, notably on the Further Moor near Langenfeld, and high construction costs. The signatories request transparent answers to technical objections raised by the Autobahn GmbH and call for a reassessment of the regulatory framework in light of recent scientific and digital traffic‑management advances. They maintain that the temporary side lane, activated only during peak loads, would alleviate congestion without the extensive land use of a permanent upgrade.