June 27, 2026, 4:09 p.mJune 27, 2026, 4:09 p.m
One month after the Brenner route was closed, the important Fernpass route in the Austrian state of Tyrol was closed to residents’ demonstrations. Even after this protest against traffic congestion in the Alps, there was no traffic jam chaos for the time being, as an expert from the Austrian drivers’ club ÖAMTC said.
The Fernpass road B179 was not passable between Reutte and Nassereith from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and a local alternative route was also closed. Although the blockade only lasted two hours, the authorities called for a large area to be avoided around the Fernpass on Saturday.
The blockade coincided with the start of the summer holidays in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. According to the ÖAMTC, the holiday traffic was probably spread across other routes so that there were hardly any traffic jams.
Possible knock-on effects of the lockdown in the coming days
Only on the B177 in Tyrol were delays of around 30 minutes reported, which were related to the Fernpass closure, said the expert. “But it would be wrong to speak of a drama,” he said. However, there could be even heavier traffic in the coming days if planned trips were carried out later, according to a statement from the state of Tyrol.
Residents demonstrated on the Fernpass because of the ever-increasing traffic.Image: imago images
The Fernpassstrasse connects to the German A7 motorway at the Bavarian border. According to the state of Tyrol, an average of around 16,300 vehicles drove along the Fernpass road every day last year, including around 1,200 trucks.
Protest against traffic congestion, tunnels and tolls
A regional citizens’ initiative organized two demonstrations on both sides of the pass to protest against traffic congestion. Around 700 people took part, as the Austrian news agency APA reported, according to police.
Residents are also protesting against a traffic management package that the Tyrolean state government has planned for the Fernpass. These include, among other things, tunnel construction projects and the introduction of a toll.
The citizens’ initiative fears more rather than less traffic on the Fernpass route due to the planned expansion and construction of new tunnels. A toll would also place a financial burden on the local population, the organizers said in a statement. Instead of road projects, they called for transit to be moved to rail.
The initiative has already announced another day of protest for August 1st. However, the authorities have not yet decided whether the event can take place including a further Fernpass ban. (sda/dpa)