The article covers that - "Secondly, it would be a political showpiece".
The article's use of "strategic" is in the context of "the autobahn was of low strategic importance for much of WWII". When coupled with "The reichsautobahn gained real military relevance only in 1945 as WWII closed in on Germany itself", it's clear that the text meant strategic from a military stand point.
Once the war started (and especially once they invaded the USSR), I highly doubt the autobahn was anywhere in the top 10 (or top 100...) reasons why Germany kept fighting.
The article's use of "strategic" is in the context of "the autobahn was of low strategic importance for much of WWII". When coupled with "The reichsautobahn gained real military relevance only in 1945 as WWII closed in on Germany itself", it's clear that the text meant strategic from a military stand point.
Once the war started (and especially once they invaded the USSR), I highly doubt the autobahn was anywhere in the top 10 (or top 100...) reasons why Germany kept fighting.