The 28-kilometer-long metal column was a harbinger of further massive traffic jams, which worried local leaders. The wave of return flights from the German Pentecost holiday starts on Saturday.
In Kuchl everything stood still for a day and a half. It was only on Saturday afternoon that holidaymaker traffic from Germany slowly decreased. “We are finally experiencing normal events in our city again,” ÖVP Mayor Thomas Freylinger said with relief on Monday.
As in Kuchl, the traffic situation in Golling only improved after the extreme event on Friday and Saturday. Due to the constant traffic jam, there were waiting times of up to five hours at the construction sites of the Werden tunnel chain. Although motoring clubs had expressly warned about this, mainly Pentecost holidaymakers from seven German states still drove to Italy and Croatia.
Air conditioning glue picked up on the highway for an hour
In the middle of all this, activists of the last generation were stuck on the A10 near Hallein on Saturday. It took a long time before the authorities decided to resolve the blockade. Only after about an hour did the air conditioning adhesives begin to be removed.
There could soon be another massive traffic jam of similar magnitude. “I fear it will be an ongoing problem until June and beyond. More renovations still need to be done,” said Freylinger, Kuchl’s local boss. Sabine Klausner, traffic spokeswoman for the Salzburg SPÖ, also criticizes that the exit barriers to the federal highways are not sufficient.
Pongau communities are expecting a strong wave of return flights
Like Freylinger, she is again calling for toll exemptions. This would allow the police to send holidaymakers’ cars back onto the highway. “We also need a closure of the Kreuzberg exit for Bischofshofen,” says Klausner. On Saturday, the return journey of Pentecost holidaymakers will clog the Pongau communities in front of the tunnel construction site. Klausner: “Then we have cars with boats and surfboards everywhere in the Bischofshofen area. Something has to change.”
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.
