"Everything was very relaxed"
Total roadblock in effect: First vacationers forced to turn back
These are scenes that many have recently only seen during the COVID-19 lockdowns: The Brenner Highway (A13) had been completely closed since 11 a.m. due to a protest. The day’s outcome was surprising—instead of the expected traffic chaos, an eerie calm prevailed on both the main and alternate routes well into the late afternoon.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen “Everything’s very calm. There’s much less traffic than on a normal Saturday,” said a spokesperson for the police traffic division earlier that morning. On the Brenner Highway (A13), one of Europe’s most important north-south connections, the feared traffic surge failed to materialize. The total closure of the Brenner Highway was lifted at 7 p.m.
A few vacationers from Germany had to turn around at the toll plaza or before the Brenner Pass. “What’s this strike about?” asked a surprised driver who was suddenly stopped.
A few drivers had to turn back:
The situation north of the closed section was also particularly striking: an almost eerie calm prevails at the Kufstein-Kiefersfelden border. On the German A93, there has been hardly any traffic heading toward Tyrol since the early morning hours, and the A12 on the Austrian side also remains unusually clear.
At 1:00 p.m., the protest rally began as planned. Participants are continuously streaming into the area, and at times it has already become crowded. The procession of demonstrators set off at 1:15 p.m. toward the Matrei chain-link fence near the highway. According to estimates, between 4,000 and 4,500 people are expected to participate. Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) is calling it an “extraordinary day for Tyrol.” Deputy Governor Philip Wohlgemuth (SPÖ) and Provincial Councilor Cornelia Hagele are also on site.
“Today we are sending a powerful message to our European neighbors: We will not let the trucking lobby take our beautiful Tyrol away from us!” says Karl Mühlsteiger, mayor of the 1,300-resident municipality of Gries am Brenner. He is also the organizer of the protest march.
The protest rally slowly dispersed around 4:00 p.m., as participants left the roadway. The demonstration officially ended at 4:30 p.m. The Tyrolean police are also pleased. They, too, consider the outcome “very” positive. Provincial Police Director Helmut Tomac expressed his gratitude not only to all institutions and authorities, as well as the Province of Tyrol, for their excellent cooperation—but also to the demonstrators: “A big thank you also goes to the disciplined participants in the rally and to all road users at home and abroad who took the numerous messages and appeals in various media seriously and chose not to drive today.”
Traffic remained calm on detour routes as well
Even during the demonstration, traffic conditions on the alternate routes in Tyrol remained calm—in many places, there was “absolutely no traffic.” In East Tyrol, webcams showed a similar picture: Both along the Felbertauern route and in Lienz, there was unusually little traffic for a Saturday.
Family Faces Nearly Empty Roads
A family from Bayreuth was quite surprised on Saturday; they had actually planned to drive leisurely on to the Zillertal—and suddenly found themselves facing almost empty roads: “Yesterday, it felt like half of Germany was on the move toward Tyrol—crazy traffic, gridlock everywhere. And today? Nothing! I never would have thought people would be so sensible and actually avoid the Brenner route.”
Situation Unusually Quiet Even Before the Closure
Even before 11 a.m., the situation was unusually quiet. There were no major traffic jams either at the Schönberg toll plaza or heading toward Matrei. A driving ban for transit trucks had been in effect since 9 a.m. Passenger cars had to turn around at the latest at the toll plaza or at the Brenner Pass. In addition, federal and state roads in the Wipptal valley are also closed to through traffic.
It was also quiet before 11 a.m. at the Schönberg toll plaza and just before the protest site in Matrei:
There are many signs that travelers took the warnings seriously. Numerous vacationers likely postponed their trips or took a wide detour around Tyrol. In South Tyrol in particular, many vacationers responded flexibly. “Many guests moved their reservations up by a day or postponed them,” reports Klaus Berger, president of the South Tyrolean Hotel and Restaurant Association.
The State of Tyrol, the police, Asfinag, and numerous other organizations are conducting a large-scale operation. Officials had already presented a package of measures at the end of April and spoke of measures that had never before been implemented on such a scale in Tyrol. The demonstration had initially been banned but was later permitted by the State Administrative Court.
Widespread Criticism from Germany and Italy
In the run-up to the event, the demonstration had drawn criticism, particularly in Germany and Italy. South Tyrol’s Governor Arno Kompatscher warned of the impact on road users, while Bavaria’s Minister of Transportation, Christian Bernreiter, expressed his annoyance. The protest, however, received support from numerous Tyrolean opposition politicians.
Act of sabotage on the Brenner railway line
During the ongoing total blockade at the Brenner Pass, rail traffic at the border between Italy and Austria was significantly disrupted on Saturday. According to the Italian railway company Trenitalia, the railway infrastructure in the province of Verona was damaged by unknown perpetrators.
The perpetrators thus deliberately targeted the only remaining functioning transportation link between Italy and Austria.
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