by Traffic disruptions for HGVs on motorways in Italy and Germany
The German A42 motorway has been closed in both directions because of damage detected in a bridge between the Bottrop-Süd and Essen-Nord junctions. The Italian Camelosa viaduct on the A4-A26 has also been closed to vehicles with a MAM of over 19 tonnes.
Germany
The A42 motorway has been closed in both directions because of damage detected in a bridge between the Bottrop-Süd and Essen-Nord junctions. Since there is too much diversion traffic on local routes, Autobahn GmbH asks drivers to use newly designated diversion routes (see the map below). The motorway section might be reopened to car traffic in spring 2024 but HGVs are not expected to be able to use it in the near future.
Italy
After a technical inspection of the structure of the Camelosa viaduct on the 15th kilometer of the A4/A5 Ivrea-Santhià motorway junction, a driving ban has been introduced for vehicles with a MAM above 19 tons on the section between the A4 – A26 Santhià junction and the Albiano d’Ivrea junction, in both directions. Maintenance works are to take place in mid-January, which will involve removing the road surface in the direction of Santhià. As a result, vehicles with a MAM above 3.5 tons will also be prohibited from using this section in both directions.
HGVs coming from the A4 motorway and the A26/A4 Stroppiana – Santhià junction and heading towards Aosta will be diverted to the A4 Turin – Milan motorway in the direction of Turin and on to the A5 Turin – Aosta motorway at the Settimo Torinese junction. HGVs coming from Aosta and heading for Milan/Alessandria/Genoa are advised to continue along the A5 Turin – Aosta motorway towards Turin to reach the A4 motorway to Milan and the A21 motorway to Alessandria and Genoa.
by Tirol: 24 days with limited cross-border HGV traffic in the 1st half of 2024
As in previous years, on specific days listed in the restriction schedule (below) HGV traffic from Germany at the Kufstein-Nord border crossing on the A12 Inntal motorway in the direction of Innsbruck will be limited to 300 lorries per hour.
The measure has been criticized by international organizations on a number of occassions, but so far to no avail.
Days with restrictions in the 1st half of 2024
➡ January 8 (Monday)
➡ February 5 (Monday)
➡ February 12 (Monday)
➡ February 19 (Monday)
➡ February 26 (Monday)
➡ March 4 (Monday)
➡ March 11 (Monday)
➡ March 28 (Thursday)
➡ April 26 (Friday)
➡ May 2 (Thursday)
➡ May 3 (Friday)
➡ May 6 (Monday)
➡ May 7 (Tuesday)
➡ May 8 (Wednesday)
➡ May 10 (Friday)
➡ May 17 (Friday)
➡ May 18 (Saturday)
➡ May 21 (Tuesday)
➡ May 22 (Wednesday)
➡ May 23 (Thursday)
➡ May 27 (Monday)
➡ May 28 (Tuesday)
➡ May 29 (Wednesday)
➡ May 31 (Friday).
by Slovakia: derogation from the HGV driving ban
At the request of ČESMAD Slovakia, the Slovakian Presidium of the Police Force of has granted a general exemption from the driving ban in connection with the upcoming holidays.
On the 24th, 25th, 26th of December, and on the 1st and 6th January 1 and 6, 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 from certain neighbouring countries and bound for destinations (e.g. the company’s base or the place of unloading) located in Slovakia.
by Austria: driving bans on the A10 before Christmas
The driving ban for heavy goods vehicles with a maximum authorised mass exceeding 7.5 t will be in effect on Friday (December 22) and Saturday (December 23) on the following sections of A 10 motorway:
❌ on Friday, December 22, from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM
a) southbound carriageway (in the direction of Villach) between the Salzburg junction (A 10 / A 1) and the Pongau junction, if the destination is located in Italy or Slovenia or must be reached via Italy or Slovenia, and
b) northbound carriageway (in the direction of Salzburg) between the Rennweg junction and the Golling junction, if the destination is located in Germany or the Czech Republic or must be reached via Germany or the Czech Republic;
❌ on Saturday, December 23, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
a) southbound carriageway (in the direction of Villach) between the Salzburg junction (A 10 / A 1) and the Pongau junction, and
b) northbound carriageway (in the direction of Salzburg) between the Rennweg junction and the Golling junction.
The following journeys are exempt from the driving bans:
1. Transports of slaughter cattle or livestock, mail items and periodicals, supplies of drinks to tourist areas, urgent deliveries to petrol stations, catering establishments and events or repairs of cooling systems, towing services, roadside assistance, assistance in emergencies, medical care, the use of vehicles by road maintenance companies or to maintain road traffic, in road or rail construction, the use of vehicles by public security services, fire brigades, the use of vehicles for garbage collection, waste disposal, to maintain the operation of water treatment plants or the use of vehicles by companies providing regular services, as well as journeys of vehicles used by travelling carnivals (Section 2 (1) Z 42 KFG 1967), incl. teams of lighting and sound engineers travelling to and from the venue, journeys according to § 42 para. 3a StVO, urgent journeys involving lorries, articulated vehicles or trucks with trailers used by the Austrian armed forces or foreign troops staying in Austria by virtue of the Troop Residence Act, BGBI I No. 57/2001, or humanitarian aid transports performed by recognized organizations; journeys associated with the renovation of the tunnels on the A 10 motorway between the Golling and the Werden junctions, as well as and deliveries originating or terminating in the federal state of Salzburg;
2. Journeys carried out exclusively for the purpose of transporting of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh milk and fresh milk products, fresh meat and fresh meat products, fresh fish and fresh fish products, live fish, eggs, fresh mushrooms, fresh baked goods and confectionery, fresh herbs, potted plants or cut flowers and ready-to-eat food preparations, as well as related empty or return journeys to transport packaging for the above-mentioned groups of goods. Drivers must carry a waybill or a cargo manifest. It must always be possible to check the loading status (quantity) at the beginning and during transport.
3. Journeys performed exclusively to transport goods to or from airports (Section 64 of the Aviation Act) or military airfields that are used for civil aviation purposes in accordance with Section 62 (3) of the Aviation Act;
4. Journeys involving combined rail-road freight transport from the consignor to the nearest technically suitable loading station or from the closest technically suitable unloading station to the recipient and back to the next loading station, provided that a fully completed document can be presented showing that the vehicle or its superstructures (swap bodies, containers) are to be transported by rail or have already been transported; this applies mutatis mutandis to combined water-road freight transport.
by Słowacja wprowadza świąteczno-noworoczne odstępstwo od zakazów
Na wniosek stowarzyszenia ČESMAD Slovakia Prezydium Policji Republiki Słowackiej przyznało zwolnienie z zakazu prowadzenia pojazdów.
W dniach 24, 25, 26 grudnia 2023 r. oraz 1 i 6 stycznia 2024 r. zwolnione z zakazów będą samochody ciężarowe poruszające się po autostradach, drogach dla pojazdów silnikowych, drogach klasy I oraz drogach dla ruchu międzynarodowego przyjeżdżających na terytorium Republiki Słowackiej z niektórych krajów sąsiadujących, których miejsce przeznaczenia (np. baza firmy lub miejsce rozładunku) znajduje się na terytorium Republiki Słowackiej.
by Controls at the border with Germany will continue for a few months
In an effort to combat people smuggling and limit illegal migration, Germany will continue temporary controls at the internal borders with Poland, Czechia and Switzerland until March 15, and with Austria – until May 11, 2024.
Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior, said:
”The measures are paying off. Since mid-October, the federal police have arrested around 340 smugglers. Thanks to temporary border controls and measures undertaken by the neighboring countries, the number of unauthorized entries has dropped by over 60%, from over 20,000 in October to around 7,300 in November”.
Since October 16, the federal police have registered approximately 14,600 unauthorized entries and performed 7,100 interventions to prevent unauthorised entries or end illegal stays in the country. About 119,000 unauthorized entries have been recorded since the start of the year, compared to 92,000 last year.
by Finland closes its land border with Russia
All crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia will be closed until December 13.
Earlier this month, Finland has closed the crossing points at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala, only leaving its northernmost border crossing at Raja-Joosepin for TIR transports.
The measure has been introduced to combat illegal migration through Russia. The new regulation will come into force on the night of November 29/30.
by Czechia: more sections of the D1 motorway with an overtaking ban and higher fines
From the beginning of 2024 there will be more sections of the D1 motorway where lorries will not be allowed to overtake other vehicles.
The ban will be in effect on the motorway sections from Mirošovice (KP 21) to Humpolec (KP 90) and from the Jihlava exit (KP 112) to Velké Meziříčí-west (KP 141), with the exception of uphill lanes, where overtaking will be allowed. As a reminder, in mid-November, the HGV overtaking ban came into force on the section from Humpolec (KP 90) to Jihlava (KP 112) and from Velké Meziříčí-West (KP 146) to Kývalka (KP 182).
From January 1, 2024, the revised Highway Code will come into force, which introduces higher penalties for breaking the ban. Drivers can face fines from CZK 4,500 to 5,500 during a roadside check and up to CZK 25,000 in administrative proceedings. There are also plans to employ VMS boards to limit the use of the left lane by HGVs during emergency situations such as accidents or difficult weather conditions.
by Austria introduces a NEW winter driving ban on local roads
The new driving ban will come into effect from December 23 in the districts of Schwaz, Kufstein and Reutte in Tyrol and will apply to several regional roads and all local roads. The purpose of the ban is to prevent attempts to avoid traffic jams on transit routes.
As a result, drivers will not be able to avoid traffic jams in a given area by turning into local roads, unless they are traveling as part of terminating, originating or local traffic.
❗The driving ban will apply from December 23, 2023 to April 1, 2024 on Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and in the Reutte and Kufstein districts also on Sundays and holidays from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The ban applies to all motor vehicles passing through Tyrol, including cars and motorcycles. The ban does not apply to terminating, originating or local traffic.
❌The ban applies on the following road sections in the district of Schwaz:
– L294 Bruckerstraße, from KP 0.020 in the commune of Reith im Alpbachtal to KP 2.320 in the commune of Bruck am Ziller and from the beginning of Zillerstraße in the commune of Bruck am Ziller to the southwest corner of the Gst. No. 1940 in the municipality of Hart im Zillertal (intersection Zillerstraße / L298 Harterstraße).
– L7 Jenbacher Straße (Kasbach) – in the direction of Jenbach.
– Transit bans in the towns of Strass, Schlitters, Fügen-Gagering, Fügen, Uderns, Hart, Bruck im Zillertal.
❌ The ban applies on the following road sections in the district of Kufstein:
– L 211 Unterinntalstraße (Kirchbichl/Langkampfen) towards Kufstein – Except for terminating, originating or local traffic in the district of Kufstein;
– L 211 Unterinntalstraße (Kirchbichl/Langkampfen) towards Mariastein – except for terminating, originating or local traffic in the district of Kufstein;
– L 295 Buchberger Straße (Ebbs) from km 3.0 towards Niederndorf – Except for terminating, originating or local traffic in the commune of Ebbs;
– “Alte Erler Straße” (Niederndorf) after exiting the L 209 towards Niederndorf – except for local traffic in the commune of Niederndorf;
– Municipal road Endach/Kufstein from the roundabout “Kufstein Süd/B173/Krankenhaus” towards the District Hospital Kufstein – except for terminating, originating or local traffic in the town of Kufstein;
– Coming from Eiberg, head towards Kufstein from the intersection at the roundabout Eibergstraße/Gemeindestraße Eibergstraße (B 173-Bayrischer Hof) – except for terminating, originating traffic and residents of Kufstein;
– Entrance road off the B 171 road towards the north – except for terminating, originating traffic and residents of Kufstein;
Traffic lights used for limiting the number of passing lorries are located in the following places:
➔ B 171 Tiroler Straße, KP 1.44 for traffic from Germany (activation of the existing system).
➔ B 172 Walchseestraße, km 18.0 for traffic from Walchsee towards Niederndorf.
➔ B 172 Walchseestraße, km 21.95 for traffic from Germany towards Niederndorf.
➔ B 173 Eibergstraße, km 6.6 for traffic towards Kufstein
❌ The ban applies on the following road sections in the district of Reutte:
– L 288 Pinswanger Straße, from the intersection with L 396 Weißhausstraße (km 6.250 + 35m) towards Pinswang and Pflach;
– L 69 Reuttener Straße from KP 9.750 (around the Vils intersection) towards Pflach to the Wiesbichl roundabout in Pflach;
– L 288–0–A1 access road to Pflach from the junction of the B 179 Fernpassstraße exit (Reutte Nord exit) towards Pflach to the Wiesbichl roundabout in Pflach
All driving bans are included in the traffic information system and are therefore available to sat-nav operators. This is to ensure sat-nav devices calculate routes taking into account these restrictions. In addition, the Tyrolean police and specially trained road supervision authorities will monitor compliance at selected checkpoints.
by How to ask a question about driving bans to get an answer?
We are happy to answer every question, but we are not always able to guess what exactly you are asking about.
Of course, we always try to follow up with specific questions, but this considerably prolongs the response time.
So how should questions be formulated?
⏺️ First of all, indicate which country you are asking about and what the problem is.
⏺️ We are often not sure if someone is asking a question or informing us about something. The lack of a question mark at the end of a sentence makes a big difference.
⏺️ Before you ask a question, check information about a given country – you may find the answer faster than we are able to reply.