Expert on traffic jams

Less speed and traffic lights as a solution to the A10 chaos

The convoys of cars on the A10 are only slowly getting going again

(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

A renowned traffic expert criticizes the traffic management on the Tauern freeway. The traffic jam chaos and the tunnel renovation are partly of his own making, and some of the problems can be easily corrected.

The next of many travel weekends on the Tauernautobahn is approaching. When the tunnels on the A10 are open to two lanes again next week, this will only provide minor relief. Further renovation work will continue in September at the latest, and the tunnels between Golling and Werfen will be partially closed again.

Asfinag and the state want to plan ahead for the fall. The state would like to rely primarily on a metering system with traffic lights at the Salzburg junction - as reported by the "Krone". "That won't be effective," says Gerhard Kronreif. It would not solve the traffic jam problem. "Several metering traffic lights are needed between Salzburg and Golling," says the traffic expert and accident researcher. "And also between the tunnels."

Several metering traffic lights and lower speeds would reduce tailbacks. On the one hand, this can be calculated, and on the other hand, experience from Bavaria in particular shows this.

Gerhard Kronreif, Verkehrsexperte

Bild: Markus Tschepp

Calculations and experience
Several traffic lights would ensure the traffic density and not stop the flow of cars abruptly as before. "It's very easy to calculate," says Kronreif. Experience from roadworks in Bavaria has also shown that this works. Sensors for controlling the traffic lights at the A10 slip roads already exist anyway.

Plans for the metering system are probably already in the Asfinag drawer. For the time being, however, they are only saying: "We want to implement an earlier speed reduction in front of the tunnels and a better separation of the lanes at the portals in the fall."