People in Hesperange may no longer have believed it would happen, but the Alzingen bypass is now expected to become reality by 2037.
The construction site will not open today or tomorrow, but the Government Council at least gave the green light on Friday for the bill presented by the Minister for Mobility and Public Works Yuriko Backes to begin making its way through the legislative process. The cost is substantial, at €390 million.
Alongside the planned bypass, which will divert traffic past Hesperange from Alzingen towards Howald, the Alzette will also be renaturalised in this Natura 2000 area, while the Réiserbann national protected area will be adapted in line with the new road.
The fact that the Alzingen bypass is urgently needed is clear not only to residents, but also to the roughly 20,000 motorists who use this route every day towards Schlammesté or Luxembourg City.
Construction work in the centre of Hesperange is also set to continue in the future. The area around the church and the Alzette bridge is to be turned into a shared space, where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists will all come together. This, however, will only happen once the bypass has been completed in around 10 years' time.
For now, these remain plans and a provisional timetable. The land and meadows still need to be purchased, environmental procedures must be completed, and technical analyses carried out. The diggers are only expected to start rolling in 2032 at the earliest, meaning plenty of water will still flow down the Alzette before work begins.
