Plöckenpass remains closed: economy suffers from rockslide!

A dramatic rock fall in December 2023 has shut down the popular connection between Carinthia and Friuli, the Plöcken Pass, for over a year. The effects are devastating: residents and local businesses suffer from the night-time closure, which represents an economic damper for the region. It has now been announced that the opening of the street planned for this weekend has to be postponed again ORF Carinthia reported. Since the rockslide, there have been massive blocking elements on the road, making the renovation work more difficult.

The news from Friuli-Venezia Giulia is particularly bitter, where the restructuring agency ANAS confirmed after discussions with Austrian partners that the closure is expected to remain in place until mid-January. Recently there was optimism that the road could be reopened as early as December. Now the plan is to initially allow limited, partial traffic on the weekends in order to ensure safety for road users and to keep an eye on possible further dangers Alpine tourer.

Renovation work and high costs

The renovation work on the Plöcken Pass is complex and cost-intensive; Around 20 million euros will be invested in repairing the damage. Road safety is the top priority because there are still large boulders that could block traffic. Devastating weather conditions have further exacerbated the situation. Regular rainfall causes new rock to slide again and again. Residents are therefore increasingly calling for alternatives, including a possible base tunnel, to prevent future rock collapses, even if such solutions could endanger the historic route.