Plans for the Alzingen bypass, a long-awaited road infrastructure project aimed at alleviating heavy traffic through Hesperange, were presented in detail to members of the Chamber's Mobility Committee this week.
The proposed bypass is designed to divert the current flow of around 20,000 vehicles per day, particularly during rush hour, away from Hesperange's main road. The project comes with an estimated price tag of €390 million and is expected to be completed by 2037. The legislative proposal also includes measures to offset environmental impacts and features a dedicated cycle path.
The idea of a bypass for Hesperange is not new. Marc Lies, a deputy for the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) and former mayor of Hesperange, recalled that discussions around a bypass date back to the early 1960s and mid-1990s.
However, Lies pointed out that earlier proposals were never as concrete as the current project now under consideration.
Work on the legislative proposal began in 2017. According to Roland Fox, Director of the National Roads Administration, the bypass would consist of a 5.75km road with a single lane in each direction.
Fox emphasised in his presentation that the new infrastructure will not resemble a four-lane motorway, but rather aims to ensure functionality so that traffic can flow around the villages without congestion, excessive noise, or pollution.
Within Hesperange itself, additional traffic-calming measures are planned to further reduce local congestion by diverting through-traffic that has no business in the town onto the bypass.
If the bypass is approved by the Chamber of Deputies, further studies will be conducted, and necessary land acquisitions will follow. Environmental compensation measures are scheduled to start in 2029, with road construction set to begin in 2031.
The project will affect a designated Natura 2000 zone, which means significant compensation measures are required. In addition, the bypass will impact the course of the Alzette River, which will be terraced and renaturalised to mitigate ecological effects.
Some deputies questioned why compensation measures could not begin sooner, such as immediately after the law is passed. Fox explained that land still needs to be purchased and that precise plans for compensation must be finalised to ensure they benefit the intended species and environments.
Green Party (Déi Gréng) deputy Meris Sehovic commented after the committee meeting that the Alzingen bypass aims to reconcile environmental protection with the quality of life for Hesperange residents because it strives to follow existing infrastructure as much as possible, minimising interventions in the natural environment.
Corinne Cahen, Democratic Party (DP) deputy and president of the Mobility Committee, has been appointed as rapporteur for the Alzingen bypass legislative proposal.
Thursday’s meeting of the Mobility Committee also included a presentation of amendments to the draft law on the Adapto transport reform. The Council of State had raised several formal objections, which are set to be addressed through the proposed changes. DP deputy Mandy Minella will serve as rapporteur for this legislation.
In May, Minister for Mobility Yuriko Backes formally submitted the Alzingen bypass project for institutional review, marking the latest step in a process that has been in the making for decades.
