Traffic jam summit

Traffic jam never stops

The block clearance at Golling is often on red early in the morning.(Bild: Scharinger Daniel, Krone KREATIV)

This weekend, the traffic jam will not stop at the Tauernautobahn. Next Monday, the state and mayors will meet to discuss the exit barriers from July. These should at least try to improve the situation in summer...

The red lights on the traffic lights on the Tauernautobahn near Golling went on as early as 7 a.m. yesterday. The traffic jam quickly stretched all the way back to Hallein. There were several traffic jams in the other direction. A rear-end collision near Werfen even led to a temporary closure of the highway.

An almost everyday sight: traffic jam in the center of Golling.(Bild: zVg)

Summit on departure closures at the regional transport council
Holidaymakers and locals needed up to two hours longer on their journey. It didn't help that the road over the Lueg Pass was passable again. It was also congested at times.

It is unlikely that the opening of the tunnels alone will improve the traffic situation. The truth is much more: the volume of traffic has long since become too high.

Thomas Freylinger, ÖVP-Bürgermeister von Kuchl

"In our municipality, it's a daily occurrence," says Martin Dietrich, SPÖ mayor of Golling. There was a traffic jam through the town center. A summit meeting between the state and the mayors of the affected A10 municipalities is to take place on Monday to provide an outlook for the future. Transport Minister Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP) wants to talk to the local leaders about the exit closures from July. "Functioning exit barriers are the only chance for us," says Dietrich.

We have never had an easy time with traffic in Golling. Completely independent of the tunnel construction site. With exit barriers that work, it should finally be possible.

Martin Dietrich, SPÖ-Bürgermeister von Golling

That's exactly where it's getting worse. The controls of the barriers have often been patchy. Asfinag, the state and the federal government blame each other. "We will have to talk about exit management," says Thomas Freylinger (ÖVP). Kuchl's local leader knows the possibilities of his party colleague Schnöll and therefore holds Asfinag and the federal government accountable. "I will continue to demand toll exemption," says Freylinger. This is the only way to send drivers back onto the A10.

Hardly anyone in Tennengau believes that the traffic situation will improve when the tunnels open on June 28. Even before the renovation, transit traffic was already causing traffic jam chaos on the A10 and in the municipalities. Before the tunnels are reopened, five German federal states are going on vacation.