Overview
- A slim majority voted to allow the planned upgrade in the citizen referendum held on Sunday, June 28, 2026, a result the Wahlamt put at about 53 percent with roughly 40 percent turnout.
- Under Bavarian municipal law the referendum result has the same force as a city‑council decision, so the outcome is legally binding and ends the immediate phase of legal and political contestation.
- City leaders said they will release withheld tender documents and resume planning, with the western section — featuring a third westbound lane and noise protection — targeted to start in spring 2027 and the middle section around 2030.
- The project centres on a 1.8 kilometre tunnel for through traffic and carries current cost estimates above €1 billion, with the Freistaat Bayern expected to cover a large share but the city’s final cost share and future tunnel maintenance obligations still unresolved.
- Opponents accept the vote but warn the scheme may not solve congestion, could attract more truck traffic, and will leave the city exposed to long‑term upkeep costs and possible cost overruns while critics plan to monitor implementation closely.