A new law passed by German lawmakers late last year will go into effect starting this March, which mandates that long stretches of the country’s fabled autobahn will be painted a dark green. Of the just over eight thousand miles of roadway currently labeled ‘autobahn,’ nearly fifty percent will be painted the new color, which autobahn officials have labeled as ‘forrest green.’
There are several reasons for the change, according to German government memos that have been passed out to the media during the past few weeks.
First and foremost is the issue of security. As the NATO countries become more convinced that the United States is no longer much interested in their defense, it has become a matter of great importance to protect each country’s infrastructure from possible missile attack by Russia. Military experts say that shading the autobahn green will effectively hide it from airplane and missile attack.
A recent study commissioned by the autobahn authority discovered that motorists were less likely to experience road rage, or be the victim of a road rage incident, when constantly exposed to green pavement.
And finally, the Green Party, which is extremely powerful in Germany, wanted roads to reflect a more natural look out in the countryside.
Critics say the change in color will cost a fortune and produce minimal, if any, positive results. It is estimated the entire paint job will cost around twenty-million euros.