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Hamburg – Clearing work for the controversial A26-Ost motorway project has commenced in the Hamburg port area of Moorburg. On Saturday, vegetation was removed at the Fürstenmoordamm, a move that has sparked immediate backlash from environmental protection groups.
Environmentalists criticize rushed action
Christina Wolkenhauer, representing the nature conservation association Nabu, was present at the site and condemned the timing of the clearing. She characterized the start of the work as an "absolute audacity," noting that the clearing season had only recently begun.
"The planning approval decision was issued just last week, and now, facts are obviously being created with great haste on a Saturday, without waiting for the associations to exercise their legal rights of appeal," Wolkenhauer stated.
Contentious project continues
The A26-Ost project has been a subject of intense dispute for years, primarily due to concerns that the planned route would destroy a vital moorland area. Environmental organizations, including Nabu and the BUND, have also raised alarms regarding construction activities near a white-tailed eagle nest, fearing the birds may abandon their habitat.
Official response
When questioned about the Saturday clearing operations, Hamburg’s environmental authority (BUKEA) stated that the A26-Ost is a federal project managed by the transport infrastructure company DEGES. The authority emphasized that its role is limited to ensuring compliance with species protection regulations.
Previously, the environmental authority had noted that a pair of white-tailed eagles in the moorland area required protection. Work near the eagle nest, which the authority attributed to the installation of an amphibian fence, had already begun the previous week.
The Senate of Hamburg is pursuing a new attempt to construct the motorway through the port, maintaining the original route despite previous legal setbacks at the Federal Administrative Court.
