Amphibians safe: New tunnels for toads and the like in Hesse!

Amphibians safe: New tunnels for toads and the like in Hesse!

On Friday, June 17, 2025, the L3134 between Oppershofen and Steinfurth will finally be reopened to traffic. This reopening comes after an extensive reconstruction, during which the road surface of the 1.4 kilometer long route was renewed and eleven special amphibious tunnels were built. Loud FNP The tunnels are about one meter wide, 70 centimeters high and placed at a distance of 30 meters over a length of a good eight meters.

The reason for these interesting measures? The protection of amphibious migrations to spawning waters. How NABU clarified, such road construction measures that affect the habitats of amphibians are required by law in Germany. Road builders must take appropriate compensatory measures, such as tunnels or fences, to ensure the safety of both people and animals.

Efficient infrastructure for nature

The new amphibian tunnels are intended to prevent species worthy of protection, such as toads and newts, from being run over while migrating. In the past, volunteer conservationists often had to use mobile fences to protect the animals. Over 1,400 animals, including 818 toads, have been carried across the road by volunteers this year, while the new facility is expected to significantly reduce mobility requirements.

In addition to the tunnel, a stop channel was installed on the farm road to prevent animals from getting onto the road. The state transport authority sees the project as a successful example of the successful combination of infrastructure measures and environmental protection, although the Steinfurth CDU's comments must also be addressed here. They criticized the costs and described the measure as unnecessary. NABU, on the other hand, sees the expenditure on the toad tunnels as an important part of species protection, which is marginal in relation to the total costs of road construction.

A look beyond national borders

But it is not only in Hesse that great attention is paid to amphibian protection. An example from Berlin, reported berlin.de, shows how residents in the Tegel Forest have been taking protective measures to preserve a large common toad population since 2008. Here, too, special protective fences with catch buckets are installed to transport animals safely across busy roads.

In summary, the new amphibious tunnels on the L3134 not only improve the quality of life of the animals, but also increase safety conditions for all road users. This shows once again how important it is to reconcile nature and infrastructure protection.