20 kilometers of traffic jam

Climate stickers blocked Fernpass in travel chaos

(Bild: Letzte Generation)

The vacation shift change caused traffic chaos on Austria's highways on Saturday. The Fernpass route in Tyrol was particularly congested - a 20-kilometre-long traffic jam formed here in the morning. To make matters worse, a campaign by climate stickers temporarily blocked the Fernpass route.

The Last Generation activists started one of their protest actions in the morning hours at the Fernsteinsee. They blocked the already slow-moving traffic, holding a poster with the words: "Listen to the Climate Council."

On their X account, the activists let their followers know: "We don't want to disturb anyone on their way to a well-deserved rest, but the climate catastrophe is escalating and instead of taking countermeasures, our chancellor is partying the night away at balls."

Holidaymakers reacted aggressively
However, not all those affected were sympathetic: According to activist Marina Hagen-Canaval, some German holidaymakers behaved very aggressively.

In any case, the closure brought traffic heading south to a standstill along the entire route. The action was stopped by the police in the morning on the instructions of the authorities.

At the moment, German holidaymakers are about three kilometers behind at the Füssen border tunnel. There are also delays at the Scharnitz (B177) and Achenpass (B181) border posts, as well as in the Oetz and Zillertal valleys.

Strong nerves required
But it wasn't just in Tyrol that holidaymakers needed strong nerves in traffic: according to the ÖAMTC, drivers heading south lost up to one and a half hours late in the morning at the tunnel construction site on the Tauern Autobahn (A10) in Salzburg.

There were also delays in Vorarlberg before the exit to Montafon on the Rheintalautobahn (A14). "The traffic situation in Bavaria suggests that the traffic jams will continue until at least midday on Saturday," say the ÖAMTC traffic experts.