“Everything’s 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 outcome of the day was surprising—instead of the expected traffic chaos, an eerie calm prevailed on the main and alternate routes until late in the afternoon.
“Everything is very relaxed. There’s much less traffic than on a normal Saturday,” said a spokesperson for the police traffic department as early as this 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 booth 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 zone was also particularly striking: at the Kufstein-Kiefersfelden border, there is an almost eerie calm. 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.
The protest rally began as planned at 1:00 p.m. Participants are continuously streaming into the area; at times, it has already become crowded. The procession of demonstrators set off at 1:15 p.m. toward the Matrei chain-link fence site next to the highway. Estimates suggest that 4,000 to 4,500 people are expected to participate. Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) calls it an “extraordinary day for Tyrol.” Deputy Governor Philip Wohlgemuth (SPÖ) and Provincial Councilor Cornelia Hagele are also on site.
“Today we are sending an overwhelming 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 p.m., with participants leaving the roadway. The demonstration officially ended at 4:30 p.m. The Tyrolean police are also pleased. They, too, view the event as “very” positive. State Police Director Helmut Tomac expressed his gratitude not only to all institutions and authorities, as well as the State of Tyrol, for their excellent cooperation—but also to the demonstrators: “A big thank you also goes to the disciplined participants of the rally and to all road users at home and abroad who took the numerous information and appeals in various media seriously and chose not to drive today.”
Traffic calm on detour routes as well
Even during the demonstration, traffic conditions on the alternate routes in Tyrol remained calm—in many places, it was “dead quiet.” In East Tyrol, webcams showed a similar picture: both on 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 already unusually quiet 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.
Calm before 11 a.m. also at the Schönberg toll plaza and just before the demonstration 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. Especially in South Tyrol, many vacationers reacted flexibly. “Many guests moved their bookings up by a day or postponed them,” reports Klaus Berger, president of the South Tyrolean Hoteliers and Restaurateurs Association.
The State of Tyrol, the police, Asfinag, and numerous other organizations are on high alert. Officials had already presented a package of measures at the end of April and spoke of measures that had never before been implemented with such intensity in Tyrol. The demonstration had initially been banned but was later permitted by the State Administrative Court.
Much 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 Transport Christian Bernreiter expressed his annoyance. The action, however, received support from numerous Tyrolean opposition politicians.
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 specifically targeted the only remaining functioning transport link between Italy and Austria.
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