In the middle of Klagenfurt

The shortest highway in Austria has been opened

This is it, the shortest highway in Austria - the A 122 - in the middle of Klagenfurt(Bild: Hannes Wallner)

A unique section has been opened in Carinthia - the A 122, a mini-motorway with a special purpose.

Breakdown lane, noise barrier, emergency call pillar and even information boards about the vignette requirement: the new A 122 really does have everything a real highway should have. Only the length is a little lacking, as the road is only 80 meters long and therefore deserves the title of being the shortest freeway in Austria.

This extraordinary and nationally unique stretch of highway can be found in the middle of Klagenfurt, more precisely, directly on the grounds of the provincial fire brigade school. "We have recreated the highway in as much detail as possible in order to be able to train our firefighters in the best possible way," says Klaus Tschabuschnig, the experienced head of the Carinthian State Fire Brigade School.

Realistic accident situations
This measure became necessary because traffic accidents are becoming an ever-increasing challenge for fire departments. Vehicle technology is becoming ever more complicated, making operations ever more complex. Tschabuschnig: "During training, we try to confront our firefighters with real accident situations, and it makes a big difference whether you say there is a noise barrier or whether there really is one."

And how did the initiators come up with the name A 122? "Quite simply, it includes the fire department emergency number," explains the head of the fire department school. Incidentally, a pile-up was simulated on the A 122 on Thursday.