End of traffic jam in sight

At a glance: Graz roadworks reach their finale

A sigh of relief for commuters: by the end of the year, many roadworks in Graz that have caused a lot of congestion and annoyance in recent months will be completed. From the Opernring to the Tegetthoffbrücke and Puchstraße: Thomas Fischer, Head of the Graz Roads Department, gives an overview.

Last summer demanded a lot of patience from drivers in Graz. Roadworks sprouted up in many places and caused bottlenecks, especially in early morning traffic. However, commuters can now breathe a sigh of relief: at least five major roadworks should be completed by the end of the year.

The best news is in Maiffredystrasse and Leonhardstrasse - here the crumbling tracks could be repaired by the start of school. Streetcar lines 1 and 7 are running again and the car lanes have also been opened. The Opernring and Joanneumring will only have to wait another month. "By the end of October, two lanes will be open again here, only the ancillary work will take one to two weeks longer," explains Thomas Fischer, Head of the Graz Roads Department.

Thomas Fischer is head of the Graz Roads Department.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Hopefully, the ring roads will soon provide faster access to the city, where the biggest offensive has been launched with the "inner city relief". By the end of 2025, a completely new streetcar track will be built here - through Neutorgasse to Andreas-Hofer-Platz and then over the Tegetthoff Bridge into Annenstraße.

Major Tegetthoff Bridge project being finalized
Fischer describes the bridge, named after the naval officer Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, as the "heart of the inner city relief project". It is scheduled for completion at the end of November. Vorbeckgasse and Belgiergasse will also follow - the supporting structures for the bridge have just been assembled here. The tracks in Annenstraße will not be ready until next summer.

The Tegetthoff Bridge in Graz is already taking shape.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

An easing of the congestion situation can therefore be expected soon, says Fischer. Despite the discovery of bones, Puchstraße will also be finished on time at the end of the year, and the construction of the second streetcar track in Triester Straße will be completed at the end of November - until then, line 5 will still turn at the central cemetery.

"We still have a total of 550 open construction sites, but that also includes the smaller ones," explains Fischer. One of these will probably remain open to motorists for even longer: In Elisabethstraße, work will continue throughout the winter, the program is too dense for breaks, says Fischer. The road should be clear by the end of next year.