B180 Reschenstrasse

400 meter long gallery to protect against rockfalls

The province of Tyrol is building the new 400-metre-long Kanzelgalerie on the B180 Reschenstraße in a critical area.(Bild: Land Tirol/EQ-Vis)

A 400-metre-long gallery is to prevent rockfalls on the frequently affected Tyrolean Reschenstraße in the Landeck district. Construction of the 40 million euro project is set to begin in September, the province announced. Completion is planned for the end of 2026.

The section between the Tschingelsgalerie and the Kanzelkehre is a "neuralgic area". Rock fragments repeatedly break out above the road and also penetrate the rockfall protection nets that have been installed, according to a press release. This situation has worsened with increasing extreme weather conditions.

Closures due to rockfalls or for rock clearance work should be a thing of the past once the gallery is completed.

LHStv. Josef Geisler

Road safety will be increased
The construction of the Kanzelgalerie, which has been planned for some time, should now remedy this situation. "With the construction of the Kanzelgalerie, we are significantly increasing road safety", Deputy Governor Josef Geisler (ÖVP) was quoted as saying: "Closures due to rockfalls or for rock clearance work should be a thing of the past once the gallery is completed".

Closures necessary, detour 
Before the actual construction work can begin, rocks will have to be removed and existing rockfall protection nets moved. During this time, there will be unavoidable closures due to limited space and the danger situation, the state announced. From September 2 to 27, for example, the road will be closed on weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm. The road will remain completely closed between October 8 and December 20.

A detour will be in place via Engadiner Strasse and Martinsbrucker Strasse and therefore partly via Switzerland. Daytime and full road closures lasting several weeks will also be necessary in 2025 and 2026.

Visualization of the planned 400-metre-long Kanzelgalerie.(Bild: Land Tirol/EQ-Vis)

The pulpit gallery will be constructed as a reinforced concrete gallery. 2,300 tons of structural steel and 16,000 cubic metres of concrete are required. On an area of 10,000 square meters, additional safety measures are required in the form of rock cross-linking and shotcrete.