7.5-ton driving ban

Fourth expert opinion for transit forum “brainwashing”

There was also a demonstration in Tarrenz last fall.

(Bild: BI Gurgltal)

LHStv. Josef Geisler (ÖVP) once again affirmed that the weight limit on the Fernpass will be maintained. The new managing director of Fernpassstraße GmbH, Klaus Gspan, took up his post at the beginning of March. 

"We are taking the concerns and fears of the population seriously and have once again put the 7.5-tonne driving ban to the test," announced LHStv. Josef Geisler at a media event in Reutte on Thursday. The fourth traffic engineering report would once again confirm that the 7.5-tonne driving ban will remain in place even after the construction of the Fernpass Tunnel.

However, the Tyrolean state parliament will approve a credit line of 600 million euros for Fernpassstraße GmbH next week.

LHStv Josef Geisler (ÖVP)

Bild: Birbaumer Christof

The fall in the tonnage limit is one of the main concerns of tunnel opponents. They fear a flood of trucks on a new transit route. The cost estimates of 500 million euros for the 2nd tube of the Lermoos tunnel and the long-distance pass tunnel from 2023 are still up to date. Geisler continued: "However, the Tyrolean state parliament will approve a credit line of 600 million euros for Fernpassstraße GmbH next week."

I have already held initial talks with the mayors of the municipalities along the B 179.

Klaus Gspan, GF Fernpassstraße GmbH

"In the event of a lawsuit, only a court can decide"
In future, the newly founded, state-owned Fernpassstraße GmbH will be responsible for the construction, maintenance and management of the B 179 Fernpassstraße. Klaus Gspan took up his position as managing director at the beginning of March. "I have already been able to hold initial talks with mayors of the municipalities along the B 179," says the newcomer, for whom the next step will be to advertise for the employees required for the company's operational launch.

Fritz Gurgiser from Transitforum calls this an expert opinion brainwashing and clarifies: "Should the 7.5 t limit be complained about, by whoever, it will not be an expert who decides, but only a supreme court." It is completely incomprehensible that the legally required provisions were not made for the tunnel renovation, which has been known for around 20 years.