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Graz commuters are in for congested times

Reconstruction work has begun on Elisabethstrasse in Graz.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz, Krone KREATIV)

Two new roadworks in Graz city center will soon have commuters sliding around impatiently in their car seats. In Elisabethstraße, one lane is being given over to bus traffic, while the tracks in Maiffredygasse need to be renovated. According to Green Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner, the scheduling clash was unavoidable due to differing responsibilities.

Graz is already known as a traffic jam capital - now the next bottleneck is forming in the middle of the city center. Elisabethstraße and Maiffredygasse are being rebuilt almost simultaneously. "Commuters don't understand what's going on here in Graz at all," says Peter Amreich. As chairman of the Austrian Commuter Initiative, he knows all about the frustration caused by the many hours lost in traffic jams. He says: "Commuting time is life time."