Mega construction site in Graz

Neutorgasse finished: Do we need a stop button now?

View of Neutorgasse one day before the opening: more trees, seating and space for pedestrians. Schwentner sees an upgrade for the city center.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Christian Jauschowetz, Webcam Holding Graz)

Graz is getting a new streetcar line: Neutorgasse has been redesigned for this purpose - the huge project is finished. The Green deputy mayor wants to continue renewing the district, entrepreneurs are calling for a stop button.

If you don't live in Graz, you don't necessarily have to know Neutorgasse. Although it is very centrally located, it was primarily a thoroughfare for car traffic.

And yet Neutorgasse has long been known to many people outside the provincial capital. Over the past year and a half, it has been rebuilt in a "huge operation": At the end of 2025, two new streetcar lines will run here to relieve the bottleneck of Herrengasse.

Neutorgasse was one big construction site for a long time

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

"It was a tough time, of course"
The construction work made headlines. Business owners complained about poor accessibility and a lack of communication, and many could not understand the duration of the project. "Of course it was a tough time, we could have communicated the opportunities for the district better," says Green Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner to the "Krone".

She defends the duration: "The work is on schedule. It was a huge project." All the cables were re-laid and the road space has been significantly redistributed. Instead of three lanes for motor vehicles, there are now only two - and streetcars have priority on these lanes. The sidewalks are wider and there is also a cycle path. "This is a huge added value for the entire city center, and the economy will benefit," Schwentner is convinced.

Survey

The opening of Neutorgasse is celebrated in style. Today: family program from 11.30 am to 5 pm, followed by a program by La Strada until 10 pm. Many businesses present themselves.

Where construction continues
The construction of the Bim line is far from over: the Tegetthoff Bridge will be renewed by November (a large bridge section will be lifted into place on July 14), followed by Belgiergasse and Vorbeckgasse on the other side of the Mur by the end of 2025.

The Neutorviertel will also remain in focus: the small Neutorgasse is already a cycle lane, Kaiserfeldgasse is currently being transformed into a meeting zone and the southern part of Schmiedgasse is being redesigned. The focus is also on Raubergasse and Albrechtgasse, which are also to be traffic-calmed.

"Don't overburden people"
This sets alarm bells ringing among business representatives: they are calling for a "breather for the city center" and no more construction sites. "People shouldn't be overwhelmed and the situation should be evaluated calmly. We want a study with the city in 2025," says Viktor Larissegger from the Chamber of Commerce. On Thursday, 1700 signatures were handed over to Schwentner.