A violent thunderstorm with heavy rain on Thursday evening led to several mudslides and landslides in the East Tyrolean municipality of Assling. Streets had to be closed. An otherwise “calm” stream turned into a raging monster, tearing a bridge with it. There are now plans for a replacement bridge.
After the Drautalstraße (B100) and the Pustertaler Höhenstraße (L324) reopened to traffic on Thursday evening, the St.-Justina-Straße (L388) between the districts of Mittewald and St. Justina will remain closed to all traffic.
Pieces of wood and steel lay hundreds of meters away
There – as reported – the Platschbach bridge was swept away by masses of water and debris. The wooden and steel parts lie hundreds of meters deep in the creek bed. “Friday morning there were inspections with the deluge and avalanche barriers,” Mayor Reinhard Mair told the “Krone”.
Traffic is diverted locally via the Thal ramp and the Abfaltersbach ramp. One courtyard is currently closed off from the outside world.
There are already plans for a replacement bridge
How’s it going from here? “The first step is to plan a temporary replacement bridge to make St.-Justina-Strasse in this area passable again as soon as possible,” explains Harald Haider, head of the district office of the Lienz building. To this end, the steel girders worn out by the mudslide would also be salvaged from the stream and checked whether they could be used for a replacement bridge.
The extent of damage caused by the storm cannot be estimated at this time. For fire chief Manuel Oberwasserlechner, the reason is clear: “There has always been precipitation in recent days. The slopes were saturated. The hail was the trigger.” There were also moments of fear on the cycle path: abandoned bicycles were found there. Soon after, everything became clear: “Because of the heavy rain, they were left there. Nothing has happened.”
The risk of thunderstorms is increasing in Tyrol this weekend
The forecast for Saturday and Sunday in Tyrol is cloudy. Although it is mostly dry in the morning, heavy rain and thunderstorms will move through the country from the afternoon.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
