Future -friendly road construction measures on the Südring: Planning starts in 2025

Future -friendly road construction measures on the Südring: Planning starts in 2025

The focus of the municipal council of Innsbruck is currently the comprehensive redesign of Südring, a significant and strong part of the city. The construction measures that are supposed to begin in February 2025 extend over about two years and include the renewal of the track systems and the modernization of bus stops. Particular attention is paid to the creation of new cycle paths and green areas that are intended to promote a more environmentally friendly flow of traffic.

The project is realized in cooperation between the state of Tyrol, the city of Innsbruck and the Innsbruck transport companies (IVB). The project was presented at the meeting of the local council on October 10th. City councilor Mariella Lutz led the discussion and received various feedback from municipal council members.

planned measures and details

The conversion measures focus on the section between Leopoldstrasse and Andreas-Hofer-Straße. This is a state road, the track systems of which urgently need to be renovated due to repeated track breaks. The bus stop at the Cineplex also receives an update to meet modern requirements. From 2025, not only the road itself, which has been heavily used for years, will be renewed, but also new cycle paths on the north and south side of the southernring will be created.

The planned cycle path on the north side should make a better connection to the shop and the city center, while the path on the south side will connect to the Olympic Bridge and the Westbahnhof. A total of 43 new trees are planned, which are planted in the newly designed green areas, which are also used for rainwater retention and thus relieve the sewer network. The project costs are around 6.1 million euros that are divided between the institutions involved.

The reactions from the local council are different. While some members criticize the plans as inadequate, others see it an opportunity for sustainable urban development. Tom Mayer from the Fritz list commented skeptically and called for a more fundamental redesign to make the Südring a more livable space. He draws comparisons to international projects that lead traffic areas underground and thus reduce traffic jams and air pollution.

Markus Lönberger from the FPÖ brought an application that would like to check the possibility of tuning the south from the Olympic Bridge to the Westbahnhof. This solution would possibly reduce traffic drastically and benefit urban areas. The focus on the cycle paths and the improvement of public transport is supported by the Greens, which, however, express concerns about the idea of tunneling. Janine Bex emphasizes that the main goal should be to reduce private transport and instead to promote local public transport and cycling.

Talks about traffic relocations and possible relief of the south ring were also stimulated, especially by Mesut Onay from the Ali. He calls for an analysis of the current traffic situation and the possibility of redirecting through traffic to the highway in order to relieve residential areas of noise and traffic pressure.

The discussions about the road construction measures on the Südring illustrate the different views of future traffic design in Innsbruck and indicate that while these measures are advocated, urgently needed developments in the transport infrastructure for the individual municipal council are not yet sufficient. The upcoming work could significantly influence the traffic conditions and quality of life in the city. Further information and current developments on this topic are on www.meinbezirk.at find.