Plöckenpass remains tight: the economy suffers from rock fall!

A dramatic rock fall in December 2023 has paralyzed the popular connection between Carinthia and the Friuli, the Plöckenpass, for over a year. The effects are devastating: residents and local businesses suffer from the nightly closure, which is an economic dampers for the region. It was now known that the opening of the street planned for this weekend has to be postponed again, as reported ORF Carinthia . Massive blocking elements have been on the street since the rock fall, which makes the renovation work difficult.

The news from Friuli-Julisch-Venetien is particularly bitter, where the renovation carrier Anas confirmed after discussions with the Austrian partners that the blocking is expected to exist until mid-January. It was recently optimistic that the road could be opened again in December. Now the plan is to allow restricted, half-sided driving on weekends to ensure security for road users and to keep an eye on possible further dangers, so Alpentourer .

renovation work and high costs

The renovation work on the Plöckenpass is complex and costly; Around 20 million euros will be invested in the remediation of the damage. Road safety is the top priority, because there are still large boulders that could be traffic blocks. Devastating weather conditions have also tightened the situation. Regular rainfall always slips new rocks. Local residents are therefore increasingly demanding alternatives, including a possible basic tunnel to prevent future rock abortions, even if such solutions could endanger the historical route.