On a bus tour through Wil West
Innovative on-site inspection: everyone involved in the project was able to explore the Wil West area on a bus tour. In 2022 there should also be tours of the area for the population.
Around 70 people were present on three Wil Mobil buses and explored various posts on the Wil West site in the style of a “scout exercise”. There were representatives from all the departments involved in the cantons of St. Gallen and Thurgau as well as the 23 member communities of the Wil region. And off we go: The northern network extension was discussed at the Ebnetsaal in Bronschhofen, aspects such as infrastructure and ecology on the terrace of the car world of Rotz and the details of the cantonal usage zone in Gloten.
The tour of the site met with a consistently positive response: many participants had real aha moments when it came to the “dimension of the project” or “how detailed ecological compensation measures have already been defined”. The area tour with various stations should also be a central instrument in the future to make Wil West more tangible. Corresponding implementations are being planned for both the media and the population.
The District President of St. Gallen, Marc Mächler, also insisted that Wil West be brought to life and that the project be brought to the next phase: "We must soon get away from the paper and the plans and show people specifically what is happening here." The CFO also submitted details of the special loan for the development of the site, which the Cantonal Council is expected to discuss in its first reading in November. In addition to Mächler, site manager Susanne Hartmann was also present from the government of the canton of St. Gallen. The Canton of Thurgau was also represented by the head of construction, Carmen Haag. The latter explained the network decision on the new connecting road and the footpaths and cycle paths, over which the Great Council of Thurgau has to decide. The Wil West motorway junction is at the center of the infrastructure construction. The Astra is planning this as an exciting high-spinning bridge and will then build it later.
The modernized “Wil West” logo with the claim “The future lies with us” also premiered at the location conference. The claim stands for the self-confidence that the future lies here in the region and that future generations will find attractive jobs locally and no longer have to migrate in large droves to other cities. In addition to the logo debut, a new, fresh website is also being planned.
Three young personalities from regional politics took part in the “Voices of the Future” podium: Meret Grob, City MP Green prowil; Salome Zeintl, President Jungfreisinnige Wil and the surrounding area and Serge Müller, Vice President SP Münchwilen district. They combined many positive aspects with the project, such as cross-cantonal cooperation or the economic strengthening of the entire region. However, they also expressed the need to involve the young and the population in general even more and to think more about the future, instead of just looking at today's forms of construction and transport.
