After the rockslide

Hopes are pinned on free travel in early summer 2025

The B 33 is completely buried. The road should be cleared by the 2025 summer season.

(Bild: NÖ Straßendienst)

8500 working hours have been put in so far after the rockslide in Aggsbach. However, the clean-up is proving to be more than difficult and dangerous. And a lot needs to be done to ensure the greatest possible safety in the long term. An overview of the situation and what the experts say. 

It was devastating when a massive rockslide fell on the B 33, the Aggsteiner Straße near Aggsbach-Dorf in the district of Melk, on June 3 and buried the road. At that time, the extent of the rock avalanche could not yet be estimated.

Already 8500 working hours
After more than 8,500 hours of work, the geological survey and the technical report for planning the protective measures are now available. "We're not going to mess around in a hurry and in two years' time we'll be sitting here again with the same problem," emphasized Provincial Vice-President Udo Landbauer, adding that the protection and safety measures will take six months.

Depending on the weather, the protective measures are likely to take six months. Safety is the top priority.

Udo Landbauer, FPÖ-Landesvize und Verkehrsreferent

Bild: Gerhard Pfeffer

The situation on the rock is extremely unstable
However, this also depends on the weather and the winter that is now coming. Only then can the road be cleared, and he hopes that it will be open to traffic in summer 2025. "I know how bad the situation is for the people in the region. Tourism and gastronomy are suffering in particular," says Landbauer, who does not want to risk any lives on site. The situation on the rock is extremely unstable - you have to start work at the top and then work your way down so as not to endanger the safety of the workers.

Expert presents massive securing work
Geologist Martin Müllegger, who also prepared the expert report, explains the difficult work steps. At the top of the rock formation, it is also so narrow that a maximum of two teams can work on the "rock section" at the same time.

Nature can only be controlled to a certain extent. More rock can come loose here at any time if we proceed too aggressively.

Martin Müllegger, Geologe im Auftrag des Landes Niederösterreich

Bild: Gerhard Pfeffer

Among other things, a rock interlinking with 1000 m2 of rockfall protection with 120 so-called stone nails will be installed there. In addition, 20 special bar anchors made of solid steel have to be inserted into holes drilled ten meters deep and secured with solid nuts. 

Huge block of stone has to be blasted in a controlled manner
In addition, a loose block of stone with a volume of 125 m3 must be blasted "carefully", as this would also pose a long-term danger. Only then is a walking excavator used, which must also be secured by steel cables and winches due to the steep slope. It will then begin clearing the loose rock above the B 33.

The reason for the rockfall
Müllegger can also explain why the rockslide happened at the beginning of June. At the end of May, it had rained a lot more than in previous years: "This water seeped in quickly, but could not drain away as quickly. This created a lot of pressure until the catastrophe occurred." Road construction director Josef Decker explained that the project was within budget at an estimated 2.5 million euros.