Austrian motorway agency Asfinag has decided against building a tunnel to reroute part of the A13, the Austrian section of the Brenner Autobahn. Instead, it will renovate or replace the 2km four-lane Lueg Bridge.
However, renovation work the toll bridge, that was opened in the 1960s, could take up to two years and close down three of the four lanes for that period, according to a report in Der Standard newspaper. Politicians at regional and federal level, as well a communities along the route, fear the A13 traffic will be passed onto their more local roads, creating massive congestion.
Cost of the work is expected to be around €300 million, explained Stefan Siegele, managing director of Asfinag Alpenstrassen, as reported by the media.
The Brenner motorway is a major pan-European truck route that connects Innsbruck in Austria to Verona in northern Italy. The Austrian section, the relatively short A13, is a sinuous route hugging the hillside at around 565m above sea level. It climbs up the Wipptal (Wipp Valley) to reach the Brenner Pass at 1,374m above sea. The A13 is entirely within the state of Tyrol.
Asfinag is the publicly owned corporation which plans, finances, builds, maintains and collects tolls for Austria’s autobahns. It reports to the federal ministry for climate action, environment innovation and technology.
