Don't forget that Germany was also the country where the first Green party came about - and Green parties do not like roads. Whereas 20-30 years ago a new stretch of motorway could be built quickly, these days you need to consider and compensate for the disturbances to all sorts of ecosystems...

Road-enthusiasts in Germany often lament the influence of what they call the 'eco-fascists'. For example, the missing part of the A143 in Saxony is will not be built for years (litigation tied up in the courts) because it runs through... an area with an abundance of porphyry, a type of igneous rock!!