Berlin inaugurates a €721 million highway linking Neukoelln to Treptower Park
The A100 motorway extension, which cost €721 million and took 12 years to complete, is now open to the public. The latest in a series of construction phases, the 17th phase will link the motorway to Friedrichshain, extending it across the Spree.
The opening ceremony was held inside the Estrel Hotel in Neukołln, presided over by Berlin mayor Kai Wegner (CDU), who symbolically cut a black, red, and gold ribbon. However, the event was met with criticism from politicians from the Greens and Die Linke, as well as activists who view the A100 motorway extension as a step backwards.
One politician called the 17th construction phase "the most absurd road project in Germany," but the identity of the speaker remains unclear. The controversy stems from the potential impact on several iconic music venues around Ostkreuz, which are threatened by the 17th construction phase.
During the construction process, traffic was diverted away from street level, and the new section of the motorway runs for 3.2 kilometres, from Neukołln to the Treptower Park junction. Construction involved digging a trench approximately seven metres deep.
Despite the controversy, the A100 motorway extension is now open to the public. However, the exact date of the completion of the entire project is not specified in the text.
As the city moves forward with this major infrastructure project, the concerns of local residents and traffic patterns remain unaddressed in the text. Recently, around 100 people gathered to protest against the city's investment in car infrastructure, demonstrating the ongoing debate surrounding the A100 motorway extension.
The potential impact on local music venues, the concerns of activists, and the criticisms from politicians are all factors that will continue to shape the discourse around the A100 motorway extension in Berlin.
