Start in September

Next bottleneck for holidaymakers: closure at Reschen

Günter Guglberger, Head of Bridge and Tunnel Construction at the Province of Tyrol, describes the construction of the Kanzelgalerie on the Reschen main road as "one of the most challenging construction projects in Tyrol".

(Bild: Land Tirol/ EQ-Vis)

In addition to the Lueg bridge on the A13, the construction of the Kanzelgalerie on the Reschen main road in Tyrol from September threatens to create another bottleneck. The construction in difficult terrain will cost 40 million euros. The province already has the next mega-project in the pipeline: a bypass for the traffic-plagued Leithen district of Reither. 

The state of Tyrol has around 30 million euros available each year for road improvements and new construction. Two mega-projects are just around the corner, one of which concerns an important north-south connection.

One of the largest road construction projects in the province will start at the beginning of September: the construction of the Kanzelgalerie on the B180 Reschen main road will cost 40 million euros. Once the 400-metre-long gallery is completed at the end of 2026, closures due to rockfalls and rock clearance work should be a thing of the past.

Full closure from October 8 to December 20
But until then, road users must expect considerable restrictions. In plain language: after the bottleneck of the Luegbrücke bridge, another bottleneck is being created on an important north-south link. From September 2 to 27 this year, the road will be closed Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm. The road will be completely closed from October 8 to December 20, 2024.

Everyone involved is aware that the necessary closures are a burden for the entire region. The construction of the Kanzelgalerie will significantly increase the safe availability of the Reschenstraße.

LHStv. Josef Geisler, zuständiger Landesrat für Straßenbau

Single lane with traffic lights from May 2025 until the end 
The detour will take place via Engadiner Strasse and Martinsbrucker Strasse and therefore partly via Swiss territory. Around German Unity Day on 3 October and during the 2024/2025 winter season, traffic can be routed across the construction site in two lanes without restrictions, the state emphasizes.

Daytime and full closures lasting several weeks will also be necessary in 2025 and 2026. Similar to the Luegbrücke bridge on the Brenner freeway, one lane will be used throughout from May 2025.

Leithen bypass mega-project: costs uncertain
The construction site on the Zirler Berg is expected to cause slow-moving traffic until mid-August. The impact is massive on some days when the traffic jam stretches as far as Leithen or even further back. Due to the massive traffic load on the Seefeld main road, the state has been planning a large-scale bypass to the south of the hamlet of Leithen for some time. A route has been determined to the extent that talks with landowners can begin.

On peak days, up to 21,000 vehicles drive right through the center of Leithen. The state is therefore planning to provide relief in the form of a large bypass further south.

(Bild: Neuner Philipp/Krone KREATIV)

Although the project is anchored in the Black-Red government program, the costs for the 2.4 kilometers of new road construction across meadows and through forests have not yet been determined. The fact is that the traffic load for the 160 inhabitants of Leithen is immense, and not just on weekends. On average, 12,000 vehicles are counted per day, on peak days it is even 21,000!