Travel wave in Austria: mega traffic jams and 5 hours waiting time!

Travel wave in Austria: mega traffic jams and 5 hours waiting time!

On June 14, 2025, there were significant traffic jams in Austria caused by a massive wave of travel. The Tauern Autobahn (A10) was particularly affected, where, according to [oe24], almost four hours of time was lost. Sections of traffic jams stretched on the A10 from the Salzburg junction to the construction site near Golling, where traffic was temporarily backed up for up to 25 kilometers.

The situation in Salzburg was already critical on Whit Saturday, a particularly busy day. A 40-kilometer-long traffic jam formed, which on Sunday near Golling caused a backlog of up to 45 kilometers to Neukirchen in Bavaria, as [the press] reported. ÖAMTC speakers did not expect the situation to ease until after 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. By midday the waiting time in front of the Golling construction site was already around five hours.

Traffic chaos and diversions

Travel traffic increased sharply in Tyrol from the early hours of the morning. On the Brenner motorway (A13) there were delays of up to 30 minutes between the Innsbruck and Nößlach junctions. In the area around Innsbruck, on the A12 and A13, a time loss of around an hour had to be expected, while there was heavy convoy traffic on the Pyhrn Autobahn (A9).

In addition to the A10, the B159 was also temporarily overloaded, while the Salzachtal federal highway, which runs parallel to the motorway, was also severely affected. Long-distance passes such as the B179 required block clearances to regulate traffic. The situation improved only minimally during the night, which prompted travelers to use supermarket parking spaces for a short rest.

The development of the road network

Austria has an extensive road network of around 127,000 kilometers, which is around 22 times larger than the rail network of 5,600 kilometers. From 2000 to 2020, the network of motorways and expressways grew by around 17 percent. During this time, the proportion of highway sections with three or more lanes rose from 5 to 18 percent.

In total, there are 2,249 kilometers of motorways and expressways in Austria, which corresponds to more than 250 kilometers per million inhabitants. Compared to the EU, Austria has a high-level road network that is around 50 percent larger. This infrastructure has proven increasingly important, not only for local traffic but also for tourist traffic, especially at traffic peaks such as Pentecost.

The current traffic jams are an indication of the challenges that the Austrian road network faces, especially during peak periods such as the Pentecost weekend. With the continued increase in travel, it is crucial that road infrastructure is further developed.

For more detailed information about the traffic situation and infrastructure in Austria, the articles from [oe24], [die Presse] and [vcoe] can be consulted.