Ministry of Mobility and ASFINAG present evaluation of five road projects
Economic researchers see locational advantages thanks to future-proof infrastructure. Gap-closing projects S1 and A5 to be included in ASFINAG construction program, S10 and S36 to be continued.
At a press conference today, Mobility Minister Peter Hanke and ASFINAG CEO Hartwig Hufnagl, together with the economic research institutes WIFO and EcoAustria, presented the evaluation reports on several road construction projects. In accordance with a resolution passed by the National Council, the S1, S10, S34, S36, and A5 road projects have been extensively evaluated over the past few months. The results confirm their usefulness and effectiveness in terms of traffic safety, quality of life, and value creation. Therefore, the S1 and A5 will now be included in ASFINAG's construction program, and the S10 and S36 will be continued. In the case of the S34, legal proceedings are still pending in connection with the Wörth link, which is a prerequisite for its implementation. The S34 therefore remains outside the construction program. ASFINAG's total investment in the implementation of the four projects amounts to around 3.8 billion euros, which will generate many times more in added value.
Minister for Mobility Hanke: "As the minister responsible, it is my job to ensure that Austria's infrastructure and mobility services continue to meet the high demands of our economy and population in the coming decades. The evaluation results of the S1 and A5 gap closure projects clearly show that they will directly improve quality of life, road safety and have positive economic effects. The overall results of the gap closures on the S10 and S36 are also positive, so the projects will be continued. They will therefore be handed over to ASFINAG for implementation in accordance with the Federal Highways Act. As part of these projects, we are investing a total of 3.8 billion euros in future-proof infrastructure and the business location – as the studies show, this will generate added value of several billion euros."
The gap closure projects in detail
ASFINAG Executive Director Hufnagl: "The new construction projects presented in the current ASFINAG construction programme are all at an advanced stage of planning and development. These are exclusively so-called gap closures, i.e. additions to the existing motorway network. In addition to this evaluation, all projects have also undergone years of proceedings through all instances in independent legal proceedings. This ensures that their implementation has as little impact as possible on the environment and habitats and is carried out in a sustainable manner."
Overview of evaluated projects
S1 Vienna Outer Ring Expressway
According to the Federal Highways Act, the S 1 Vienna Outer Ring Expressway between Schwechat and Süßenbrunn – with the Donau-Lobau tunnel – is intended to close the gap in the regional ring around Vienna. This should relieve traffic on the heavily used A 23 South-East Tangent and A 4 East motorways between the federal capital and the Schwechat junction, as well as for more than 100,000 people living in Vienna's 22nd district and the neighbouring communities in Lower Austria. The total length is 19 kilometres, of which 8.3 kilometres are tunnels.
The Seestadt Aspern link will also connect the Seestadt urban development area to the S 1.
From 2026, ASFINAG will begin implementing the first phase of the S1, the open-air section between Groß-Enzersdorf and Süßenbrunn, investing €500 million in the project. In total, the S1 will generate economic benefits amounting to €4 billion. Completion of the first section is planned for 2032. Procedures are still ongoing for the Donau-Lobau tunnel, so construction cannot begin until 2030 at the earliest.
S10 Mühlviertel expressway
The construction of the 9-kilometre-long final section of the S10 from Rainbach to the national border will close the gap in the high-level connection to the Czech D3, which links the economic areas of Linz and Budweis and generates added value of over 400 million euros. The implementation of the project, with an investment of €326 million, will concentrate traffic on the high-level road network and thus massively relieve the existing B 310 through roads. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, with ASFINAG expecting the road to be opened to traffic in 2032/33.
A5 North/Weinviertel motorway
Mit dem Bau des 4 Kilometer langen Lückenschlusses von Poysbrunn bis zur Staatsgrenze wird eine hochrangige Verbindung nach Brünn mit der tschechischen D52 errichtet. Die Umfahrung Drasenhofen wurde bereits 2019 eröffnet, ab Ende 2031 soll der Vollausbau mit einer Investitionssumme von 96 Millionen Euro stattfinden. Die Wertschöpfung durch die Verbindung der beiden Wirtschaftsräume beträgt allein für Österreich 850 Millionen Euro.
S36 Murtal Schnellstraße
The construction of the approximately 12-kilometre-long link between Judenburg and St. Georgen will greatly relieve traffic congestion in the communities along the B317, and ASFINAG will create a high-quality connection for the economy that meets current needs. The total cost of the project is €640 million, with cost-intensive protective measures being a major factor. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2029, with the road expected to open to traffic in 2034.
S34 Traisental expressway
The S34 Traisental expressway is a new route in the south-west of St. Pölten between the B 1 Wiener Bundesstraße in the north via a junction with the A 1 West motorway to the B 20 Mariazeller Straße near Wilhelmsburg Nord. The project is to be implemented in two phases and legally binding decisions on its implementation have been issued. Approval is currently pending for the Wörth link road connecting to the S 34, a project of the province of Lower Austria. The appeal proceedings have been suspended by the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) and a request for a preliminary ruling has been submitted to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). This decision is still pending, which is why the S34 is not currently included in the ASFINAG construction programme.
Evaluation and test reports available on the ministry's website
The comprehensive evaluation of road projects, which was requested in a motion for a resolution in the National Council, has now been completed and made available to the public. Specifically, the 300-page report is now available on the Ministry of Mobility's website.
The evaluation report on the economic effects by WIFO and EcoAustria
The authors of the study from WIFO and EcoAustria see positive effects on regional value creation in the projects mentioned. Infrastructure projects are important drivers for Austria's competitiveness.
„Infrastructure investments form a central basis for economic growth and the competitiveness of a location. Their overall economic impact only unfolds in the interplay between construction and operation. Our study focuses on the economic aspects of the projects and thus contributes to a comprehensive assessment, which naturally also includes social and ecological considerations,“ says WIFO economist Gerhard Streicher.
"Infrastructure projects have a dual effect. While the construction phase generates short-term added value and employment, the real economic benefits lie in the operational phase. Improved accessibility boosts productivity and thus the locational advantages of regions – and this is precisely where these investments make a long-term contribution to Austria's competitiveness," emphasises Wolfgang Schwarzbauer, Head of Regional Economic Policy and Foreign Trade Research at EcoAustria.