© Didier Weber
On Monday, Minister for Mobility and Public Works François Bausch presented the plans for the extension of the tram network to Findel airport, which is estimated to cost €125 million.
Preparation has been underway for several months and a number of trees have already been cut down to make room for the new construction site. The intersections of the A1 motorway have yet to be restructured, but that process is expected to be completed by mid 2023, after which a central bus station will be set up. The entire process will be separated into eight to nine different phases.
In this context, a number of changes are planned. The area around Findel Airport will undergo more than one transformation and see the construction of a Park&Ride space, a bus station, and a new boulevard, as explained by Minister for Mobility and Public Works François Bausch. Specifically, the plans entail that the current national road, as well as the various interchanges, will be redesigned to improve traffic flow. Bausch explained that the plans were designed to not only consider Findel Airport, but "everything around it", including the numerous workplaces.
The director of the Roads and Bridges Authority, Roland Fox, stated that construction is set to start in autumn 2022. The works are expected to take two to two and a half years, as the slip roads will be redesigned. The aim is to have the tram in place by the summer of 2024, according to Fox. The whole construction process is expected to last until 2028. The N1 (Route de Trèves) will also be converted into a dual carriageway, Fox added.
All this comes at a price: The State has earmarked a budget of €125 million.
