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“I will be prevented from compression and energetic renovation because of the noise,” says an affected homeowner who wants to remain anonymous due to future contacts.
The dozens of apartment buildings on the northern edge of Schwamendingen are located in a noise zone.The four-lane Ueberlandstrasse leads out into the city. On the other hand, the busiest section of the motorway spreads out of switzerland. Around 150,000 cars and trucks roll there every day on eight lanes. Only a deep noise wall shields the A1 from the residential area.
There are louder places in zurich,for example,apartments directly on Rosengartenstrasse. Especially on the Ueberlandstrasse, due to the double sound, the noise limit values on most windows can be clearly exceeded, both day and night.
There is no quiet back, no retreat from the engine noise.
Meadows extend between the houses – most date from the post-war period. Shrubs and trees are lined up along the roads. But the garden city idyll is limited to the visual. “We have a continuous noise level everywhere,” says a resident.
The aircraft noise starts at six in the morning
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The two street lines have other side effects. On the windows, on the ledges, and in the apartments, black dust constantly settles, says the resident. In addition, the headlights of the cars shine directly into his apartment when they exit a motorway ramp.
To the noise from the side, comes that from above. The affected houses lie in the airport’s approach lane.In the morning and evening, the planes land about every three minutes, says the resident.They rush so low over the neighborhood that you see the folding out of the chassis. “Sleeping with the window open is unfeasible from six in the morning at the latest.”
Almost all apartments in the area have now been equipped with triple-glazed windows that keep the noise outside.”Thanks to this, I can live well here,” says another resident.
The noise barrier comes seven years later
The affected homeowner has been pushing for improvements with the authorities for years, and he wrote dozens of emails and letters for this. But noise renovation is slowly progressing; Much too slow from the homeowner’s point of view. He says: “The state is pressing the task that the law prescribes.”
Actually, a 6-meter noise barrier should protrude between the eight-lane motorway and the Glatt since 2023. But this has not been built to this day. The responsible Federal Office of Roads (Astra) from Federal Councilor Albert Rösti (SVP) currently states completion to 2030.
[Image caption: The A1 was recently widened from six to eight lanes. Photo: URS power]
According to Astra,the reason for the delay are objections to a construction project,which also includes the noise barriers. the city of Zurich and the Verkehrs Club (VCS) appealed against the expansion of the highway from six to eight lanes. Both called for a reduction in the top speed from 100 to 80 km/h to reduce the noise pollution.
The Astra defended itself. In 2023, the federal court decided that speed should be limited to 80 km/h in the night between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. As before, the cars can accelerate to 100 km/h during the day. The court approved the expansion of the highway by using the breakdown strips.
The homeowner does not understand why, according to the Federal court decision, it should take another seven years for the noise barrier.”The justification has been advanced.” On request, the Astra writes that without the objections “an earlier start of construction would have been possible according to the original planning”.
The homeowner also wanted a noise barrier on the northern edge of Ueberlandstrasse. Though, the city of Zurich does not want to set one up – even though there is already a noise barrier on the opposite side of the road. The responsible environmental and health protection (UGZ) of city Councilor Andreas Hauri (GLP) justifies this with the intolerance to the cityscape and insufficient affect. “A second noise barrier would result in an inhospitable corridor,” says UGZ spokeswoman Anke Poiger. In addition, she only protected those affected on the ground floor and at most on the first floor.
Tempo 30 also needs seven years
Instead, the city council relies on “measures on the source”. He plans to slow down the affected section of Ueberlandstrasse to 30 km/h. Though, only at night. And at the earliest from 2032.
As of the “importance of the Ueberlandstrasse as a axis of an argument and the effects on public transport”, the top speed should remain the day at 50 km/h, writes the responsible service department (DAV) of City Councilor Karin Rykart (Greens). The DAV justifies the fact that it takes seven years to slow down with the vote on the two bus lines that run on Überstrasse.
And yet a lot has happened in recent years. The Astra implemented the nightly slowdown prescribed by the Federal Court to 80 km/h on the highway.
In addition, the Astra and the city of Zurich had noise marks on the motorway and Ueberlandstrasse. Such surfaces are supposed to dampen the rolling noises. According to the city,acoustic measurements showed a sunken noise level on the overland road.
