A long-standing problem

Where big trucks squeeze through a narrow lane

A common sight on Franzensthalstraße in Ebergassing: up to 400 trips through the narrow street have been approved by the authorities.(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

The road is far too narrow, the HGVs far too fast: a company access road through a housing estate has been causing a stir in Ebergassing for years. But now a solution is finally in sight.

In principle, a large company in the middle of a housing estate can cause tense relations with residents. All the more so when up to 400 truck journeys a day are permitted there. If the only access road leads through a narrow cul-de-sac and speed limits are not adhered to, then we are right in Ebergassing in the district of Bruck an der Leitha.

The approach to feed producer Königshofer has been causing problems there for many years. "The truck drivers speed through the narrow road at 70 km/h," residents criticize. But this is the only way to the company. "The road has been there since 1774. You would have to tear down houses to make it wider," explains Mayor Roman Stachelberger. There used to be a paper factory on the site of the company. The business was supposed to have been closed many years ago and the street - then private property - was taken over by the municipality. But in the end, the new owner even expanded his business.

It is not the municipality's fault that the road is not wide enough. We can only play mediator.

Bürgermeister Roman Stachelberger

Bild: Gemeinde Ebergassing

Although the road does not have the legally prescribed width that it should have from today's perspective, the high number of truck journeys was approved by the authorities. For this reason, the municipality has been negotiating with a number of landowners in recent years to create an alternative connection - so far without result. As an interim solution, a meeting zone was imposed almost three years ago. However, very few people would stick to the 20 km/h limit. "Truck drivers just as little as local residents," says the head of the town.

But now a solution to the traffic problem seems to be in sight, and the Königshofer company wants to take care of it itself. "We have been trying to acquire land for an alternative access road since 2006. Now we've finally managed to buy suitable land that can be used for an access road," explains authorized signatory Astrid Pieler. Work is currently underway on the detailed planning of the implementation.