VCÖ study

Truck traffic in the Ländle is declining slightly

The Rhine Valley freeway (A14) is a truck hotspot. Accidents are inevitable.

(Bild: Maurice Shourot)

The Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ) has analyzed truck traffic in Vorarlberg based on data from the Asfinag counting stations. There were fewer trucks on the road in 2023 than in the previous year, but the hotspots are unchanged.

No road section in the province is more heavily used by heavy goods vehicles than the A14 near Wolfurt-Lauterach. Around 1.6 million trucks passed the counting point there last year. In second place is the Pfänder Tunnel, through which 1.4 million trucks rolled in 2023. That is 140,000 fewer than in 2022, but 160,000 more than in 2013.

The second main traffic route alongside the A14 is the Arlberg expressway (S16) - at a considerable distance. A total of 450,000 trucks were recorded at the counting point in Außerbraz last year. This is also significantly fewer than in 2022, although this is primarily due to the temporary closure of the Arlberg tunnel for resurfacing work.

The Arlberg tunnel was closed for a long time due to renovation work. This also had an impact on truck traffic.

(Bild: Asfinag)

Speaking of the road surface: heavy traffic causes massive damage to the roads, one large transit truck wears the road as much as 60,000 cars. "With increasing truck traffic, road damage also increases, which in turn leads to roadworks and consequently more traffic jams. In addition, more trucks mean more exhaust fumes and noise for local residents," says VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky.

Incidentally, while heavy goods vehicles are on the decline, there is still no sign of a trend reversal for cars. On the contrary: in the first ten months of 2023, the figures at the counting points were consistently higher than in 2022, with the exception of the S16.