Halle debates Europachaussee extension amid resident concerns

Halle's €15M road extension divides council over three contentious routes

City Plans to Extend Europachaussee to Ammendorf—But Funding and Route Remain Contentious

The city intends to extend Europachaussee as far as Ammendorf, with €15 million earmarked from special reserves. However, the Finance Committee failed to secure a majority for the proposal, leaving the final decision to the City Council. "The how is what really matters here—ensuring that Ammendorf, Radewell, and local businesses in the industrial zone actually benefit," says Julius Neumann, the SPD's state parliamentary candidate. "This is taxpayers' money, and we have to spend it wisely." The Social Democrats abstained in the Finance Committee vote. "Our main goal is to bring stability to Ammendorf and Radewell for the long term. The light rail program is essential, but the railway underpass remains a critical bottleneck. We need to involve residents and businesses early to determine the best route."

So far, the city administration has proposed only one potential route. Neumann is calling for an open-ended discussion: "What we need is a well-founded exchange on the pros and cons of all possible options. In the end, we must reach a joint decision that works for residents, businesses, the City Council, and the administration."

Neumann points to two alternative routes that warrant examination (see map). All options begin at the junction where the current Europachaussee meets Merseburger Straße, near the Orgacid industrial site. The routes then diverge at the Heimstätten housing estate. "Everything hinges on how the Europachaussee crosses the railway tracks," Neumann explains.

Option 1 – City's Preliminary Plan This winding route would run along Tiefen Straße and Alfred-Reinhardt-Straße, both residential areas, before merging into Regensburger Straße. It remains unclear how allotment gardens might be affected. Traffic would be funneled through the bottleneck of the railway underpass toward Merseburger Straße, cutting off local businesses like a pharmacy and a bicycle shop while effectively dividing Ammendorf and Radewell. "This doesn't look like a proper bypass to me," Neumann critiques.

Option 2 – Bridge Over the Railway Hohe Straße already crosses the tracks via a bridge (currently closed to vehicles). Neumann notes: "A new bridge would direct traffic from Eisenbahnstraße over the tracks to Florian-Geyer-Platz. But this would leave the square a concrete wasteland and place a heavy burden on residents and businesses along the narrow Hohe Straße."

Option 3 – Tunnel for Traffic Calming This more complex route would partially divert traffic underground to cross the tracks and ease congestion at Florian-Geyer-Platz. "This option would make Ammendorf more livable, allow for the square's redesign, and support local businesses," Neumann argues. "It would prevent a flood of traffic from severing Ammendorf and Radewell while overloading Regensburger Straße." He acknowledges the higher cost but points to similar tunnels in Magdeburg, such as those near Schleinufer and Universitätsplatz. "What we need is an impartial, data-driven assessment of all options so the City Council can make an informed decision based on solid facts."

For Neumann, two priorities are non-negotiable: "This extension will have major local impacts, so we need genuine, early involvement from residents and businesses. I'm eager to see the administration's detailed plans and alternative routes. Crucially, the project must be directly linked to the light rail program on Merseburger Straße—otherwise, we'll just end up with expensive new roads that don't actually benefit Ammendorf."