Penultimate section of the B 178 completed

The journey time to the border triangle of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic will be a little shorter in future. The penultimate section of federal highway 178 from highway 4 towards Zittau was handed over with a civic celebration. While the three-lane expressway was reserved for cyclists and inline skaters for a few hours, motorized traffic will be able to use the approximately six-kilometer section between Oderwitz and Mittelherwigsdorf from Monday. The costs amounted to 57.4 million euros. The funds came from the structural change fund.

B 178 is considered a central traffic artery in Upper Lusatia

"The B 178 is a central traffic artery in Upper Lusatia and strengthens our cross-border cooperation in the long term. Efficient, safe road connections are crucial for economic development, a good neighborhood and an attractive region," explained Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU). The new section will relieve the communities of through traffic, shorten travel times and improve the quality of life of the people living here.

Project has already been derided as the "construction site of the century"

The Görlitz district administrator Stephan Meyer (CDU) saw the opening of the road as a "strong signal for the development" of the region. At the same time, however, the long construction history clearly shows that faster planning and approval procedures are urgently needed in Germany. Zittau's Lord Mayor Thomas Zenker (non-party) also recalled that the federal highway was already considered a "construction site of the century".

Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, announced more speed in road construction. "The new federal government is focusing on maintaining and upgrading existing roads and, as with the B 178, on expanding particularly important axes. The investment backlog and backlog in maintaining the transport infrastructure is enormous." The aim is to systematically clear the renovation backlog and increase efforts to expand and maintain the road network.

242 million euros invested so far

A total of around 242 million euros has been invested in the new construction of the east Saxon federal highway since construction began in 1999. The first stage was the bypass for Zittau, which was opened in July 2000. A final section is still missing to make the route completely passable. The planning approval procedure is currently underway for the 5.8-kilometer section with a connection to the A4. The costs for closing the gap are estimated at around 120 million euros.