New krötunnel before the opening: street between Steinfurth and Oppershofen free again!

New krötunnel before the opening: street between Steinfurth and Oppershofen free again!

Oppershofen, Deutschland - The road traffic situation between the towns of Steinfurth and Oppershofen has normalized again. On Friday, June 17, 2025, the L3134 will be released for traffic after extensive construction work has been completed. Hessen Mobil not only renewed the lane ceiling over a length of 1.4 kilometers, but also built eleven amphibian tunnels to protect the endangered animal species. These tunnels should in particular enable the protected amphibians to be a safe passage during their hike, as reported [fnp.de] (https://www.fnp.de/lokales/wetteraukreis/bad-nauheim/strasse- between-steinfurth-und-opershofen-ffrei-frei-937895.html).

The new tunnels are about one meter wide and 70 centimeters high, and are every 30 meters along the route. With a length of about 8 meters, they are also designed for other small animals such as hedgehogs. A stop sprine on the farm path was also installed to prevent animals from getting on the road. This is particularly important because in the past volunteer conservationists collected animals on mobile fences and brought it safely across the street.

protective measures for amphibians

The initiative for amphibian protection is not just a local matter. Road construction measures that affect habitats of amphibians must be compensated for in accordance with the legal provisions. The Federal Referees Law obliges construction authorities to implement traffic safety and environmental protection measures, as also indicated nabu.de. This includes tunnels and fences that increase safety for humans and animals on existing roads.

Comprehensive provision in the form of preliminary examinations is crucial for the success of such measures. Data such as the species inventory, the size of the occurrence and the location of the hiking trails play a major role. For example, hiking areas of the amphibians can shift through changes in the landscape, so that a constant adjustment of the protection systems is necessary.

public discussion and ecological responsibility

The costs for the tunnels were criticized by the Steinfurther CDU as unnecessary, but the state transport authority sees the project as an exemplary combination of infrastructure and environmental protection. The NABU defends expenditure as a marginal compared to the total costs of road construction. "The measures are important for the preservation of biodiversity," according to the consent of conservationists. According to reports from the federal government and Nabu, several hundred amphibians in the Breitwiesen in the nature reserve have already been exposed to 818 toads and 353 pond newts.

Scientific guidelines such as the standing available by the Ministry of Transport are available as a template for the planning and construction of amphibian protection systems. This brochure includes important information on structural measures and approaches for the creation of replacement biotopes to avoid or compensate for impairments, as well as on vm.baden-wuerttemberg.de written.

The release of the route is therefore a step in the right direction, which promotes both traffic safety and the preservation of biodiversity. It remains to be hoped that the new protective measures of the amphibians will really have the desired effect and that the animal hikers will get their goal more safely in the future.