Meeting of the « Transport Policy » working group of the Upper Rhine Conference: The 3Land project in focus
by Géraldine Lopez
On June 17, representatives of the 3Land Project and the Trinational Eurodistrict Basel (TEB) were invited to present their initiative to the “Transport politics” working group of the Upper Rhine Conference. This important meeting brought together technical staff from local authorities, administrations and cross-border cooperation bodies.
The 3Landproject presented to a large cross-border audience
To open the session, Mr. Silvio Tondi (Leiter Fachstelle Trinationale Zusammenarbeit, Kanton Basel-Stadt) conveyed a welcome message on behalf of Mr. Conradin Cramer (Regierungspräsident des Kantons Basel-Stadt). The message emphasized the current presidency’s theme of the Upper Rhine Conference: „Building bridges and forging links in the heart of Europe”.
Following this, Mr. Frédéric Duvinage Duvinage (Directeur général de l’ETB), Mr. Jean Rapp (Directeur général adjoint, Pôle « Stratégie et prospective », Saint-Louis Agglomération) and Mr. Martin Sandtner (Kantonsplaner, Bau- u. Verkehrsdepartement des Kantons Basel-Stadt) had the honor of presenting the 3Land project, and more specifically the future Rhine bridge project, detailing the challenges, objectives and expected spin-offs of the infrastructure that will further link the three countries. The presentation aroused great interest among attendees. Additional speakers also shared insights into various mobility projects underway across the Upper Rhine region.
On-site discovery of the 3Land perimeter
The second part of the day was dedicated to an on-site exploration of the river and land areas within the trinational 3Land perimeter. The visit was led by Doreen Heinzmann and Ivan Rosenbusch (Bau- und Verkehrsdepartement des Kantons Basel-Stadt) along with Judith Lenhart and Géraldine Lopez (ETB).
The tour began with a Rhytaxi boat trip. This tour of the river perimeter, through the port of Basel, was complemented by explanations and enriching comments on the region’s history, industry and cultural landscape.
After the river segment, participants disembarked with bicycle in Huningue, before heading to the Place Abatucci. On site, Mr.Quentin Brunotte (Directeur général des services, Ville de Huningue), gave a presentation of the town’s historical background and current development projects along the Rhine banks. Mrs. Florence Prudent (Responsable des Affaires Transfrontalières, Saint-Louis Agglomération) complemented this with a broader intercommunal perspective.
The working group then crossed the Dreiländerbrücke (Three-country-bridge), where they were welcomed by Mr Christian Renner (Leiter des Stadtbauamts, Stadt Weil am Rhein). He Introduced the group to the history of the bridge and the Vis-à-vis project – a cross border initiative between Huningue and Weil am Rhein, two cities with a strategic position at the heart of cross-border dynamism.
The participants then cycled back to Basel, during which they received further explanations on territorial planning, infrastructures and cross-border coordination.
A Milestone in the development of the 3Land Project
This day marked a significant milestone in the promotion of the 3Land project. In particular, it highlighted forthcoming developments such as the first planned bridge across the Rhine between France and Switzerland. The meeting also served as an excellent platform to introduce the project to a broader institutional audience within the Upper Rhine region. The enthusiastic reception and strong interest expressed by participants reaffirmed the relevance of the 3Land initiative.
For the 3Land project partners, it was a great satisfaction to be able to present the project's ambition, tis trinational synergies and its concrete implementation prospects.
