Drivers heading south through Austria for the summer holidays will again have to remain on the A10 Tauern motorway for the next nine weeks. From 10 a.m. on 10 July, the province of Salzburg reinstated its system of ‘Abfahrtssperren’—electronic barriers and police checkpoints that prevent cars from leaving the motorway between the city of Salzburg and Zederhaus. Only motorists whose final destination lies inside Austria may exit. The measure, first introduced in 2019, is designed to shield villages such as Anif, Elsbethen and Wals-Siezenheim from weekend traffic jams that spill onto local roads when tourists try to bypass congestion at the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels. According to ASFINAG traffic forecasters, volumes on peak Saturdays regularly exceed 120 % of nominal capacity, causing tailbacks of up to 15 km toward Slovenia and Croatia. For companies that rely on just-in-time deliveries to southern Austrian plants or to customers in Northern Italy and the Western Balkans, the rule means that trucks must stay on the tolled route; logistics managers should factor in higher fuel and toll costs and longer detour times should an incident close the motorway. Coach operators that drop passengers at Alpine resorts also need advance exit permits from the district authorities. The restrictions apply 24 hours a day until 13 September and will be enforced with mobile cameras and random checks. Violations carry on-the-spot fines of up to € 300. The province has complemented the exits ban with transit bans through several village centres to close remaining rat-runs. Businesses with local delivery addresses can register licence plates online to avoid penalties. Neighbouring Bavaria has welcomed the move—German police report fewer motorway ‘escape attempts’ in the direction of Berchtesgaden—but Dutch motoring association ANWB warns its members to expect « significant holiday queues » at the Walserberg border if they need to turn around. Travellers heading from Germany to Croatia or Italy are advised to consider alternative corridors such as the Pyhrn (A9) or Karawanken (A11) routes.
Source: ORF Salzburg
