Massive traffic jams on the Tauern motorway: Pentecost travel meets Salzburg!

Massive traffic jams on the Tauern motorway: Pentecost travel meets Salzburg!

On June 8, 2025, there was massive traffic jams on the Tauern Autobahn (A10) at Golling, which were caused by the Pentecost. At 11:00 a.m., the traffic jam was about 25 kilometers long, which meant a loss of over three hours for travelers. The traffic was also viscous on the Fernpass route (B179) and the burner highway (A13), while the rest of the Austria recorded relatively quiet flow of traffic. Alfred Obermayr from the ÖAMTC mobility information reported on his 25-year experience in traffic management and described the Situation as unusual. The traffic jam was particularly violent in front of the tunnel construction site in Golling, since there is only one trace available in every direction.

Already on Saturday the traffic jam from Golling continued to Bavaria and reached a length of more than 45 kilometers. Obermayr made a comparison to earlier times when the Tauern tunnel was single. For Sunday morning he predicted a relaxation of the traffic flow if the influx from Germany slowly subsides.

capacity bottleneck through tunnel construction work

The construction work on the Tauern motorway is in full swing. This renewal takes place in three construction phases, with the first phase lasting from September 2022 to September 2023. The aim was to impair the flow of traffic as little as possible. In the current construction phase, only one of the two tunnel tubes is in operation, which also tightens the situation. The renewal of the first tube of the tunnel systems begins as early as September 2023, which results in a complete lock of the identical tube. The traffic is then brought together in the other tube, which could further increase the traffic jams.

The work includes extensive measures such as the repair of the tunnel walls and the safety equipment in a total of five tunnels and ten tunnel tubes. A summer break from June to September 2024 ensures that both tunnel tubes are then fully open, but the traffic situation will remain impaired by the continued distributors and diversions.

important traffic axes in Austria

Austria acts as a strategic traffic hub in Europe, which also explains the high burden on motorways. The length of the highways in Austria was 1,749 kilometers in 2020, while the expressways made up 493 kilometers. Motorways such as the A10, which leads from Salzburg via Hospital to Villach, are particularly important for German vacationers. The stowage problem affects the federal states of Tyrol and Salzburg, especially at the weekends, which is reinforced by the traffic jams on the A12 and other important connecting routes.

With the current traffic situation and the continued construction work, it can be expected that travelers will have to expect additional waiting times in the coming weeks. The reports and information from ADAC and other mobility services offer valuable support to choose the best route and avoid any congestion.

summarized it is shown that the combination of peon rice traffic and extensive tunnel construction measures on the Tauernautobahn is currently a significant challenge for road users.

For current information on traffic situation and motorway states, the articles from , asfinag and adac