by Update! Austria: exit bans on the A10 motorway to prevent traffic jam avoidance
The measure has been introduced at selected junctions of the A10 motorway in order to prevent through traffic on local roads adjacent to the motorway, which many drivers use to avoid traffic jams.
❗ In accordance with §§ 44a and 94b of the Austrian Road Traffic Act 1960 (StVO 1960), BGBl 159/1960, the Hallein District Office has issued the following restrictions which will be in effect from 19 December to 30 March 2025. The restrictions apply to the Hallein, Kuchl and Golling-Abtenau junctions and enter into force once appropriate road markings have been put in place.
❌All vehicles travelling on the A 10 motorway are banned from entering local roads at the junctions listed below, with the exception of:
◾ journeys to destinations within a specified radius (terminanting traffic),
◾ public and non-public bus services and taxis.
❌ The restrictions apply to the following roads:
◾ From the Hallein junction (exit 16) into the L107 Wiestal Landesstraße: except for destinations within a radius of up to 20 km.
◾ From the Kuchl junction (exit 22) to the B159 Salzachtal Straße: except for destinations within a radius of up to 15 km.
◾ From the Golling-Abtenau junction (exit 28) to the B 159 Salzachtal Straße: except for destinations within a radius of up to 35 km.
❌ Update!
The update issued on 11 December concerns sections of the A10 motorway where drivers try to avoid traffic jams by choosing local roads adjacent to the motorway.
Vehicles travelling towards Salzburg are prohibited from leaving the A10 motrway at the Pfarrwerfen-Werfen junction (exit 44) and entering L229 Affenwenger Landesstraße, with the exception of transports whose destination is located in the province of Salzburg.
The prohibition to enter adjacent municipal roads also applies at the following junctions:
◾ From the Eben im Pongau junction (exit 60) into the B99 Katschberg Straße towards Salzburg,
◾ On the turning lane of the Landzeit service area (Gasthof Eben Nord and Gasthof Eben Süd), on the Gasthofsiedlung estate and the Gasthof Süd inn.
The prohibitions do not apply to transports whose destination is in the province of Salzburg.
According to Art. 44 StVO 1960, the regulation enters into force once the appropriate road signs have been put in place appear.
Signage and enforcement
Signs put up at motorway junctions and local road intersections will inform about the ban and the exceptions.
❌ The signs have already been put up at:
◾ Intersection of the Hallein exit with the L 107 Wiestal Landesstraße (roundabout K1),
◾ Intersection of the Golling-Abtenau exit with the B 159 Salzachtal Straße at km 21.290,
◾ Intersection of the Kuchl exit with the B 159 Salzachtal Straße at km 14.356.
by Slovakia: derogation from the HGV driving ban
At the request of ČESMAD Slovakia, the Slovakian Presidium of the Police Force has granted a general exemption from the driving ban on 24 December 2024 and 6 January 2025.
The derogation applies to all heavy goods vehicles traveling on motorways, roads for motor vehicles, 1st class roads and roads used by international traffic, entering Slovakia and travelling to destinations (e.g. the company’s base or the place of unloading) located in Slovakia.
by Maintenance operations in the Fréjus Tunnel
The operators of the Fréjus Tunnel have announced a detailed schedule of maintenance works, which will require changes in traffic management in December, including temporary closures and the introduction of alternating traffic.
⭕ The tunnel will be closed from 10:00 p.m. on Friday, 13 December, to 6:00 a.m on Monday, 16 December. During this period, drivers will have to use alternative routes.
⭕ From 2 to 18 December, on the nights from Monday to Tuesday, Tuesday to Wednesday and the following weekdays, alternating traffic will be in effect from 10:30 p.m. to 4:45 a.m.
by The Reschen Pass closed from October 8 to December 20
The Reschen Pass, connecting South Tyrol in Italy with Tyrol in Austria, will be closed from October 8 to December 20. During this period, traffic will be diverted through Switzerland.
The pass, known as Reschenpass in German or Passo di Resia in Italian, lies at an altitude of 1,500 m and runs along the Inn Valley. A section of the route runs along the B180 in Austria and the SS40 in Italy. An alternative route goes through Switzerland, along E27, which can be accessed via the Austrian roads B184 and B185.
❗ Special time slots have been established for trucks with trailers and vehicles with a length over 6.5 m travelling between the Vinschgau Valley / Val Venosta in South Tyrol and Austria via Martina in Switzerland: from 03:30 to 05:30 and from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The slots can be used after obtaining permission from the Landeck district and the Grisons police.
Local transport of goods between Val Venosta and Austria via Switzerland is exempt from customs formalities. However, transport documents must be presented during inspections.
by France: an exemption from the Sunday driving ban in northern France for certain types of transports
In response to a bird flu epidemic, which has broken out in northern France, the authorities have introduced an exemption from the driving ban on Sundays and public holidays in the departments of Aisne, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais and Somme until 6 January 2025. The exemption applies to vehicles (loaded or returning empty) transporting equipment, materials, products or vehicles necessary for cleaning poultry farms or places designated for this purpose.
In the event of an inspection, hauliers must provide proof that they are eligible for the exemption. A copy of the French decree must be on board the vehicle ➡ CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.
by Germany: A1 closed for three weekends
In the coming weeks, drivers travelling through North Rhine-Westphalia will face major disruptions. The A1 motorway in the Unna area will be closed for three consecutive weekends. The closure is connected with the modernisation of two bridges.
❌First weekend: November 17
On November 17 (Sunday), the A1 motorway will be closed from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM in both directions between the Dortmund/Unna junction and the Westhofen junction. The closure will be used to conduct some demolition work on the Liedbachtal bridge using explosives. The following diversion routes will be available:
◾ Through traffic will be diverted to the A45 and A2 motorways.
Diversion routes for drivers heading for Schwerte:
◾ traffic from the south: via the U71 from the A45 Schwerte-Ergste junction.
◾ traffic from the north: from the Dortmund/Unna junction via the B1 and B236.
❌Second weekend: November 29 – December 2
The motorway will be closed from 10:00 PM on Friday, November 29, until 5:00 AM on Monday, December 2. Initially, the section between the Kamen-Zentrum and Dortmund/Unna junctions will be closed, and on Sunday, December 1, at 8:00 AM, the closure will be extended in the northern direction to the Kamen junction and in the southern direction to the Westhofen junction.
❌Third weekend: December 6–9
The motorway will be closed from 10:00 PM on Friday, December 6, until 5:00 AM on Monday, December 9. During this time, the section of the motorway between the Kamen-Zentrum junction and Dortmund/Unna will be closed in both directions.
Further information regarding diversion routes for the second and third weekends will be announced at a later date.
by Hamburg: the Freihafen Elbe Bridge closed to HGV traffic
In order to reduce the load on the Freihafen Elbe Bridge, the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has decided to introduce a weight limit. From 26 September, vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will no longer be allowed to cross the bridge.
The measure has been undertaken because of the current condition of the bridge structure, which is nearly 100 years old.
Diversion routes for vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes run across the new Elbe Bridge, which can be reached via Veddeler Marktplatz and Zweibrückenstrasse.
by Slovakia: the I/51 road closed from 9 to 17 November
The I/51 road between Jablonica and Trstín, at the Biela Hora Pass in the Senica district will be completely closed over over a week starting from November 9.
The reason for the closure is the felling of trees connected with the reconstruction of the I/51 road, which is underway.
The 2.5km section of the road will be closed from 06:00 AM on Saturday, November 9, until 10:00 PM Sunday, November 17.
DIVERSION ROUTES:
◾ Through traffic involving vehicles or vehicle combinations with a length over 10 m continues to be diverted along the route marked with temporary road signs.
◾ A diversion for vehicles with a GVW of over 12 t and buses follows along roads II/501 and III/1291 via Jablonica – Prievaly – Buková – Trstín and back.
◾ A diversion for vehicles with a GVW of over 12 t follows along roads II/501, II/499 and II/502 via Jablonica – Brezová pod Bradlom – Vrbové – Dechtice – Trstín and back.
by Spain: HGV restrictions on the AP-7 and A-7 in Valencia partially lifted
The General Directorate of Traffic in Spain has decided to partially lift HGV restrictions on the AP-7 and A-7 motorways, which were introduced following the tragic consequences of the floods in the Valencian Community, which have caused significant damage to the city’s road infrastructure.
The derogation from the current driving ban for heavy goods vehicles with a GVW of over 7,500 kg applies on working days, from Monday to Friday, but only from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Motorway sections affected by the derogation:
◾ the northern section of the southbound AP-7 motorway, from km 465.5 in Almenara (Castellón-Valencia border) to km 480 in Puzol;
◾ the southbound section of the A-7 motorway (Valencia north bypass) from km 307 in Puzol to km 336 (connection with the A-3).
The above derogation applies to vehicles travelling on the southbound carriageways of the AP-7 and A-7 motorways between the designated kilometre points, with a mandatory diversion starting at km 336 (connection with the A-3) along the A-3 motorway towards Madrid.
The derogation has been in effect since Wednesday 6 November, and will be maintained until the A-7 is fully operational. The remaining restrictions provided for in the traffic management order of 3 November remain in force.
by Spain: damaged bridge on the A7 – restrictions for HGV traffic in Valencia
Given traffic disruptions caused by the flooding, the General Directorate of Traffic has issued a resolution implementing extraordinary traffic management measures to minimise possible traffic problems that are likely to occur in the Valencia metropolitan area.
Damage sustained by the structure of the viaduct on the A-7 motorway at kilometre 336.8 (Quart de Poblet), which affects both lanes of the Valencia metropolitan bypass, will have an effect on long-distance traffic along the Mediterranean transport corridor.
The A-7 motorway is used by more than 77,000 vehicles per day, 25% of which are heavy goods vehicles. In addition, the port of Valencia, one of the most important ports in the country, is visited by 5,000 trucks per day.
Because the storms associated with the cut-off low (DANA), which occurred on the night of 29-30 October, have caused serious damage in Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and the Valencian Community, the General Directorate of Road and Rail Transport has announced temporary exceptions to driving and rest times for freight transport ➡ CLICK
According to the resolution, no HGVs (laden or not) with a GVW of over 7.5 tonnes are allowed to use Valencian roads if their point of departure or destination is NOT located in the province of Valencia.
A number of alternative routes have been designated by DGT
▶️1. North-south direction:
• The Communities of Aragon and Catalonia via AP-2/A-2 towards Madrid. In the town of Sagunto, HGVs are not allowed to use AP-7; a diversion is available along the A-23 (Zaragoza).
• the Communities of Madrid A-3 and Castilla-La Mancha via the A-31 / A-30 Albacete-Alicante-Murcia and Almería.
▶️2. South-North direction
• The Communities of Andalusia and the Region of Murcia via the AP-7/A-7, A-31 Albacete and A-3 Madrid; the driving ban on the AP-7 applies in the town of Picassent with a diversion via the A-7.
• The Communities of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragon and Catalonia via the A-2 / AP-2
▶️3. HGVs with a GVW of over 7.5t departing from the city or the metropolitan area of Valencia or heading to destinations located within their boundaries, can travel only between 10pm and 7am from Monday to Friday, except for public holidays. Transports of essential goods are excluded from this ban.
▶️ As a result, HGVs will NOT be allowed to drive on the following roads during the day.
• A-3 towards Valencia: from km 339 in Riba-Roja to km 352 in Valencia,
• V-30 in both directions: from km 0 in Puerto Valencia to km 16 in Paterna-Manises;
• V-31 in both directions: from km 0 in Silla to km 13 in Valencia;
• A-7 towards Barcelona: from km 355 in Picassent to km 337 in Riba-Roja.
❗These restrictions come into effect at midnight on 4 November and will apply until a temporary three-lane diversionis made available on the A-7 motorway in connection with the A-3 motorway (the Valencia ring road).
The status of all roads affected by the flooding can be checked in real time on the DGT website.
According to the State Meteorological Agency, storms caused by the DANA have not yet ended and rains are still likely in the coming days, which could affect road traffic.