A petition debate in the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday was centred on calls to avoid road closures between Rédange in France and Belvaux in southern Luxembourg.

The petition, which passed the 4,500 signature threshold, called for amendments to the national mobility plan to ensure sufficient transport alternatives for cross-border workers using the A4.

Hundreds of cross-border workers use the road to commute to Luxembourg. Plans to close the road would see an immediate impact on congestion which is already at breaking point in the area.

In addition, the petitioners argued that public transport serving the region was inadequate for the volume of passengers, and therefore not a viable alternative during the road closure.

Mobility minister Yuriko Backes said the road in question, the CR178, was not designed to bear the current amount of transit traffic. The plan also targets residents' quality of life. From 15 December, a fifth cross-border bus will be added to current public transport options, serving Thionville, Audun-le-Tiche, Belval, Esch and Foetz.

Backes referred to future projects, such as bus routes or the fast tram to Esch, as other options. Although these options will not be in place overnight, the minister said they would fundamentally improve mobility in the future.

The petitioners have worked on a number of alternatives which were not presented in the Chamber. These proposals are to be sent to the relevant ministries and will consequently be examined by a joint committee between the government and representatives of the Greater Region.