Around 22,000 cars roll through Hesperange every day  Photo: Shutterstock

Around 22,000 cars roll through Hesperange every day  Photo: Shutterstock

A project to build a bypass road around Hesperange is set to open for public consultation mid-January, transport minister François Bausch and environment minister Carole Dieschbourg have said.

Discussions to build a road around Hesperange have been ongoing since 2008 and traffic hasn’t improved since then as the town centre clogs up with traffic from border regions on a daily basis.

But it seems that the project could take a big step forward in January 2022. Bausch and Dieschbourg (both Déi Gréng) in a joint answer to a this week said the government is readying proposals for the commune.

Four options of the road, taking different routes, are being considered. An alternative involving a tunnel was scrapped during the planning phase. The bypass will cost between €75m and €102m.

Following the public consultation, the government will make a final decision. This will then allow for a budget to be drawn up as well as environmental compensation measures to be assessed.

The state will have to make up for loss of trees and habitat caused by the construction works. Environmental organisations had questioned the necessity of the bypass, saying it would disturb wildlife and cut through a nature protected zone.

Hesperange has one of the worst levels of air quality in the country, the municipality’s mayor Marc Lies (CSV) has said previously. Around 22,000 cars travel through the town daily.