Villages "overrun"

“Unfortunately, neighboring countries don’t like to hear that”

Tyrolean Transport Minister René Zumtobel.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof/Krone KREATIV)

Traffic jams, sometimes up to four (!) hours of lost time: the current situation on the Brenner route is just a foretaste of what will happen in the coming years. Keyword: bridge renovations. In an interview with "Krone", Tyrol's Transport Minister René Zumtobel (SPÖ) announces measures to prevent a collapse on the A13 and the main road through the Wipptal valley. 

"Krone" : After the previous experience with the single lane on the Luegbrücke: Shouldn't driving over the Brenner be discouraged throughout Europe?
Provincial Councillor Zumtobel: The Brenner Pass is the busiest Alpine crossing in Europe. A total of 14 million vehicles pass through this bottleneck every year. Due to unavoidable and urgently needed renovations to the ageing infrastructure south and north of the Brenner, capacity restrictions for all European traffic are the result, which is why there will inevitably be obstructions in the coming years. Yes, the Brenner Pass is a pan-European issue, but unfortunately people in our neighboring countries don't like to hear that and instead demand free travel! Asfinag is launching a transnational information campaign in Europe, focusing on Austria, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. In addition, Asfinag has been coordinating intensively with all stakeholders from the transport industry, tourism, motorists' clubs, etc. for some time now.