A26-East: Gigantic costs and climate dispute over Hamburg's new motorway!

A26-East: Gigantic costs and climate dispute over Hamburg's new motorway!

Planning the A26-East in the south of Hamburg is becoming increasingly complex. So far, an impressive 83 million euros have already been wasted on this n-tv reported. When it comes to the cost distribution, the city of Hamburg is responsible for 39 million euros, while 44 million euros are provided by the federal government.

With an estimated total volume of around 2.3 billion euros, the A26-East is intended to extend the A26-West from Lower Saxony. It connects the A7 near Hamburg-Moorburg with the A1 near Stillhorn. The transport axis is of great importance in strengthening the port economy and at the same time relieving the pressure on the Harburg district.

Litigation and environmental concerns

But the future of the highway is up in the air. On October 9, 2025, a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig declared the planning approval decision for the A26-East to be partially unlawful. This happened due to a lawsuit from environmental protection associations, including NABU Hamburg. These organizations criticize the inadequate consideration of environmental impacts and call for stricter scrutiny with regard to climate goals, as well ndr.de reported.

In the meantime, adjustments to the planning approval decision are necessary. The economic authority explained that although the decision can remain in place, all possible routes must be examined for their climate impacts. “A good hand” in preventing environmental damage is required here. The critics, including BUND and NABU, not only see the A26-Ost as a threat to valuable natural areas, but also consider the project to be incompatible with Germany's climate goals.

Political disputes

The project is also a hot topic in politics. The CDU criticizes the red-green Senate for insufficient prioritization of the A26-East when it comes to the planning and its legal basis. Environmental authorities thoroughly examined the first plan approval decision, but the Federal Administrative Court criticized that alternative routes were not sufficiently considered - a clear violation of the Federal Climate Protection Act.

Addressing these issues will be critical for further planning. The Hamburg city administration is already covering costs of around 340,000 euros for the planning approval decision and a further 100,000 euros for necessary corrections. A further 20 million euros must be raised by the federal government for the planning of the remaining two sections, which have not yet been approved. And the city of Hamburg will also face several hundred thousand euros in costs.

Future of mobility

However, the A26-East is not the only focus. Nationwide transport planning has been criticized and is a reminder of the need to initiate an environmentally friendly mobility transition. According to a publication dated CONVENTION Existing infrastructure projects are often not compatible with the required climate goals. The BUND is therefore calling for a new, sustainable approach to make mobility in Germany sustainable.

It remains to be seen how the city of Hamburg will respond to the current challenges and whether it will make the necessary adjustments to meet both legal requirements and environmental concerns. The only thing that is certain is that the A26-East is a project that moves people's minds and that future mobility in the region will also have to deal with.