3 major events are coming up

Start of the vacations, shopping: Vienna threatens traffic gridlock

Advent, shopping, concerts: it is advisable to use public transport this coming weekend.(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK, Zwefo)

Christmas stress, the start of the vacations and concerts in the Stadthalle: Vienna threatens to choke on traffic next weekend. According to ARBÖ, traffic jams and delays are to be expected in the city center and on shopping streets, especially on Saturday. There is also likely to be chaos away from the shopping hustle and bustle. If you want to spare your nerves, you should use public transport.

If you want to avoid the pre-Christmas stress, it's better to stay at home next weekend or at least use public transport. Because traffic is threatening to burst at the seams on the fourth Advent, warns the ARBÖ information service on Tuesday.

In and around Vienna, there will be long delays on the Südautobahn (A2) between the Inzersdorf junction and Wiener Neudorf as well as on the accompanying Triester Straße (B17). Heavy traffic is also expected on the Vienna Nordrand expressway (S2) between the Hirschstetten junction and Hermann-Gebauer-Straße. In the city center, Brünner Straße, Mariahilfer Straße, Neubaugürtel and Nordbrücke are particularly affected.

Measures for a busy shopping Saturday
For all spontaneous shoppers, the following applies on Saturday: Only pedestrians have free passage on Innere Mariahilfer Straße! Between Museumsplatz/Getreidemarkt and Stumpergasse there will be a precautionary exclusion zone for cars, cyclists and e-scooters from 9 am to 7 pm, reports ARBÖ.

On Saturday, Mariahilfer Straße will only be open to pedestrians during the day.(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Crowds can be expected in almost the entire city center this weekend. The "Mascherl" at the beginning of Kärntner Straße (see picture above) has already made headlines.(Bild: Eva Manhart)

Start of vacations in neighboring countries
Travel is also picking up speed this weekend. In Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Christmas vacations start this weekend, in Austria not until December 24th. The biggest traffic jams are traditionally expected on Saturday morning until late afternoon.

The transit routes to the east and south are under particular pressure. Traffic jams are imminent on the Innkreisautobahn (A8) between Ort im Innkreis and Ried im Innkreis as well as in the area of the Wels junction, on the Ostautobahn (A4) near Bruck an der Leitha and before the Nickelsdorf border as well as on the Pyhrnautobahn (A9) before the Klaus tunnel chain, the Bosruck tunnel and the Gleinalm tunnel.

The start of the vacations in some neighboring countries and homeward-bound traffic cause chaos on the roads at the weekend.(Bild: Zwefo)

Longer delays are also likely on the Karawankenautobahn (A11) before the Karawanken tunnel and on the Tauernautobahn (A10) in the greater Salzburg area as well as on the crest section. In Tyrol, traffic on the Inntalautobahn (A12) before the Wiesing/Zillertal, Haiming/Ötztal and Imst/Pitztal exits as well as in the greater Innsbruck area will come to a standstill. There is a risk of additional delays on the Brenner highway (A13) before the Schönberg toll station and in the construction zone near the Luegbrücke bridge. Despite the lack of snow, according to ARBÖ, the heavy traffic traveling to the ski resorts is causing traffic jams and slow progress on many pass roads.

Three major events in the Wiener Stadthalle 
Several major events at the Wiener Stadthalle will increase traffic in the coming days, especially in the capital - in addition to the pre-Christmas shopping rush. On Thursday, December 18, rock star Bryan Adams will be on stage. On Friday, December 19, the Viennese band Wanda will perform, and on Saturday, December 20 and Sunday, December 21, the Böhsen Onkelz will provide the atmosphere in the Stadthalle.

Heavy traffic is therefore to be expected around the Stadthalle. The Neubaugürtel, Linke Wienzeile, Rechte Wienzeile, Gablenzgasse, Märzstraße, Hütteldorfer Straße and streets in the Nibelungenviertel will be particularly affected. Drivers must expect considerable delays there. "Parking options include the Stadthallengarage, the Märzparkgarage, the Lugner City parking garage and garages in the Westbahnhof area," says ARBÖ. 

Public transport will also be tight at the weekend, but at least it will get concert-goers to their destination safely and on time. It is therefore advisable to travel by public transport. Wiener Linien takes the U6 subway line to Burggasse-Stadthalle station. There are also streetcar lines 6, 9, 18 and 49 and bus line 48A.