The ARBÖ traffic experts forecast a weekend of heavy traffic jams and delays, primarily due to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Budapest and the start of school holidays in parts of Germany and the Netherlands. Transit routes in western and eastern Austria are expected to be particularly affected.
“In addition to the start of the holidays, people returning from the UEFA Euro 2024, which ended on Sunday, could also contribute to additional traffic jams,” says ARBÖ traffic expert Thomas Haider. “Experience shows that the first traffic jams start early in the morning, and the last ones clear up in the late afternoon or early evening,” he added, noting that Saturday is expected to be the most congested day.
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Traffic jams and delays expected around Vienna and beyond
Significant delays are anticipated on the eastern motorway (A4) around Vienna, especially between Simmeringer Haide and the Schwechat junction and at the Nickelsdorf/Hegyeshalom border crossing.
Other traffic jam hotspots across Austria include:
- Innkreis motorway (A8), at the Suben/Passau border crossing and the roadworks area between Ried im Innkreis and Ort im Innkreis
- Pyhrn motorway (A9), before the roadworks between Inzersdorf and Kirchdorf, Treglwang and Trieben, and before the Spielfeld/Sentilj border
- Tauern motorway (A10), near the construction site areas near Lammertal, the Spittal-Millstätter See junction, the St. Michael toll station, and the Tauern tunnel
- Karawanken motorway (A11), before the Karawanken tunnel
- Brenner motorway (A13), between Innsbruck and the Brenner Pass, in sections
- Fernpaß road (B179), along the entire route, especially before the Lermooser and Vils/Füssen border tunnels
- Seefelder Straße (B177), before the construction site over the Zirler Berg
- A1, west motorway, Thalgau – Mondsee construction site area
- A2, south highway, in the Pinkafeld-Lafnitztal, Velden and Villach sections
- A12, Inntal motorway, in the oncoming traffic area Wörgl, in the greater Innsbruck area
- A14, Rhine Valley motorway, in the Bludenz area
- S1, Vienna outer ring motorway, in the Schwechat area
- S6, Semmering motorway, between Gloggnitz and Maria Schutz
- L197/B197, Arlberg Pass, due to the closure of the Arlberg Tunnel
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ÖAMTC warns of increased accident risk due to heat
Austria’s motor club ÖAMTC has also warned of an increased risk of accidents due to the impending heatwave. A recent study by Statistics Austria revealed a 15 percent increase in road accidents on days with temperatures exceeding 30C in 2023.
ÖAMTC traffic psychologist Marion Seidenberger explains that temperatures above 30C can put the body into an “alarm state,” reducing concentration and performance while increasing discomfort, stress, and aggression.
She advises starting journeys early in the morning or evening when temperatures are lower and avoiding excessive vehicle cooling to minimise temperature differences.
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