by Renovation and closure of the Arlberg Tunnel
Owing to extensive renovation of the road surface, the drainage system and tunnel coating, the Arlberg tunnel on the S 16 Arlberg expressway between Tyrol and Vorarlberg will be closed to all traffic in both directions from April 24 to October 6, 2023 and April 15 to November 22, 2024.
The following alternative routes are available during the closures:
• Arlberg Pass Road (B 197/L 197)
• Route Rosenheim-Munich (Germany)
• Gotthard (Switzerland)
• San Bernardino (Switzerland)
Which vehicles can use the Arlbergpass road (B197/L197)?
The route along the Arlberg Pass Road can be used by cars, station wagons and lorries without trailers, as well as cars and station wagons with trailers (including caravans) with a total permissible weight of no more than 750 kg.
In the period from July 1 to October 6, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9 AM to 5 PM, cars and station wagons with trailers weighing more than 750 kg have to use alternative routes via Germany, the Fernpass or Switzerland.
All drivers are advised to allow extra time when travelling along the Arlberg Pass. Traffic congestions on this road can occur, especially at weekends, atre likely to cause delays.
Lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles are generally prohobited from driving on the B 197/L 197 Arlberg Pass road for the duration of the complete closure of the Arlberg tunnel (April 24 to October 6, 2023). HGVs have to use other alternative routes, with the exception of vehicles performing transports which start or end in designated districts (see the list of exceptions). A separate special permit for these journeys is not necessary.
At weekends (from 9:00 AM on Saturdays to 10:00 PM on Sundays) a general driving ban for lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles is in effect on the B 197/L 197 Arlberg Pass road.
Buses / lorries
There are no HGV restrictions on the Arlberg Pass road for lorries without a trailer or for buses with or without a trailer.
Lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles can use the Arlberg Pass provided these journeys comply with the exceptions listed below, which apply from 10:00 PM on Sundays 9:00 AM to Saturdays.
Journeys which start and end in designated districts
Lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles can use the Arlberg Pass road if their journeys start or end in the districts of Bludenz, Feldkirch or Landeck. This rule applies to local destination and source traffic.
Northwest-Southeast traffic
Lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles can use the Arlberg Pass road if their journeys start or end in in Vorarlberg, in Liechtenstein, in the districts of Lake Constance, Konstanz, Sigmaringen, Tuttlingen, Schwarzwald-Baar or Rottweil, in the cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, Appenzell Innerrhoden , Appenzell Ausserrhoden or Glarus and the provinces of Bozen, Trento or Belluno. This exception applies to northwest-southeast traffic.
West-East traffic
Lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles can use the Arlberg Pass road if their journeys start or end in Vorarlberg, in Liechtenstein, in the districts of Lake Constance, Konstanz, Sigmaringen, Tuttlingen, Schwarzwald-Baar or Rottweil, in the cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, Appenzell Innerrhoden , Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Schwyz, Zug, Zurich or Schaffhausen, in the following communities/localities in the canton of Graubünden (north of the Chur-Davos line): Ardez, Calfreisen, Castiel, Chur, Conters i. P., Davos, Fanas, Felsberg, Fläsch, Fideris, Flims, Ftan, Furna, Grüsch, Guarda, Haldenstein, Igis, Jenaz, Jenins, Klosters-Serneus, Küblis, Laax, Langwies, Lavin, Lüen, Luzein, Maienfeld, Maladers , Malans, Mastrils, Pagig, Peist, Ramosch, Saas i. P., Samnaun, Says, Schiers, Scuol, Seewis i. P., Sent, St. Antönien, St. Antönien-Ascharina, St. Peter, Susch, Tamins, Tarasp, Trimmis, Trin, Tschlin, Untervaz, Valzeina or Zizers
AND in the Tyrolean districts of Landeck, Imst, Innsbruck – Stadt, Innsbruck – Land or Schwaz. This exception applies to West-East traffic.
by Netherlands: weekend closure of A2
Owing to maintenance work, the section of the A2 motorway between the Deil and the Empel junction in the direction of Hertogenbosch will be closed to all traffic.
The works will continue from 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 15, until 5:00 AM on Monday, April 17. Drivers should factor in an extra hour when planning their journeys.
A2 in the direction of Hertogenbosch:
– A2 between Deil junction and Empel junction,
– connecting road A15/A2 near the Deil junction from Rotterdam,
– connecting road A15/A2 near the Deil junction with Nijmegen,
– the Waardenburg exit (16) from the A2 motorway,
– the Zaltbommel exit (17) from the A2 motorway,
– De Lucht-West car park/service area with the adjacent petrol station along the A2 motorway,
– Kerkdriel entrance and exit (19) from the A2 motorway.
Diversion routes
Traffic from Amsterdam/Utrecht in the direction of Tilburg/Eindhoven/Maastricht will be diverted as follows:
– At the Everdingen junction, along the A27 towards Breda/Gorinchem.
– Follow the A27 to the Sint Annabosch junction.
– At the Sint Annabosch junction, follow the A58 towards Tilburg and Eindhoven/Maastricht.
Traffic on the A2 motorway from Utrecht in the direction of Hertogenbosch will be diverted at the Deil interchange as follows:
– follow the A15 towards Gorinchem.
– At the Gorinchem interchange, follow the A27 towards Breda.
– Continue along the A59 at the Hooipolder junction in the direction of Hertogenbosch.
Traffic on the A2 motorway from Utrecht in the direction of Eindhoven/Maastricht will be diverted at the Deil interchange as follows:
– follow the A15 towards Nijmegen.
– At the Valburg junction, follow the A50 towards Eindhoven.
Towards Maastricht:
– Follow the A50 to Ewijk junction.
– At the Ewijk junction, follow the A73 towards Venlo.
– At the Vonderen junction, follow the A2 towards Maastricht.
Traffic on the A15 from Nijmegen in the direction of Hertogenbosch/Eindhoven/Maastricht will be diverted at the Deil interchange as follows:
– follow the A15 towards Gorinchem.
– At the Gorinchem interchange, follow the A27 towards Breda.
– Continue along the A59 at the Hooipolder junction in the direction of Hertogenbosch.
Traffic on the A15 motorway from Rotterdam towards Hertogenbosch/Eindhoven/Maastricht will be diverted at the Deil interchange as follows:
– follow the A15 towards Nijmegen.
– At the Valburg junction, follow the A50 towards Eindhoven.
Towards Maastricht:
– follow the A50 to Ewijk junction.
– At the Ewijk junction, follow the A73 towards Venlo.
– At the Vonderen junction, follow the A2 towards Maastricht.
Drivers on the A27 between Everdingen and Hooipolder interchanges should expect traffic delays during the day. This is because several north–south diversions follow the same route along the A27. Pay attention to signs along the way that indicate recommended routes.
by HGV restrictions in Catalonia: obligation to use the right lane and no overtaking
The Catalan Transit Directorate has announced its proposed HGV restrictions, some of which have caused controversy in recent years.
After the abolition of tolls on the AP-7 in September 2021, the Catalan Transit Directorate decided that on Sundays and holidays lorries should keep a speed limit of 80 km/h, only use the right lane and are not allowed to overtake. According to the proposal, on some sections of the AP-7 these restrictions would apply every day.
Proposed HGV restrictions on the AP-7:
• an obligation to use the right lane on the 30km section of the AP-7 between Calafat and Camarles on all days of the week;
• an obligation to use the right lane on the Martorell-Gelida section when the speed limit of 100 km/h is in effect from Friday to Sunday;
• a driving ban on all weekends and other public holidays in July;
• a driving ban when exiting the metropolitan ring and an obligation to use the right lane in the AP-7 section between Martorell and La Roca on Fridays and evenings before holidays;
• a driving ban on Sundays on motorway sections where additional lanes in the opposite direction have been set up and the obligation to use the right lane and keep a speed limit of 80 km/h.
Since lorries are not able to drive on national roads, despite the fact that traffic intensity on these roads has fallen after the abolition of tolls on the AP-7, the proposed measures have been criticised by road haulage associations.
by The Hungarian-Slovak border crossing closed to HGV traffic
On April 17, due to renovation works on the main road No. 13 in Slovakia, the Vámosszabadi-Medvedov border crossing will be closed to lorries with a MAM over 3,5 tons.
Passenger cars and buses will be allowed to cross the border, but HGV traffic will be diverted to Komárom along the main road No. 14 in Hungary.
❗ Trucks in on the Hungarian side of the border will be able to use the following diversion route: road No. 14 -> road No. 813 -> M19 motorway -> M1 motorway – road No. 13. The diversion route will be marked with yellow signs. Lorries can use the section of road No. 14 from the junction with road No. 813 to the border at Vámosszabadi only when their destination point is located in this area.
by Hungary: last-minute nighttime exemption from holiday driving bans
Information that the exemption requested by the Hungarian Road Transport Association (MKFE) would be granted was not published until late last night.
❗ This is another situation when the Ministry of Transport’s decision to suspend the HGV driving ban is announced at the last minute, causing unnecessary confusion.
The exemption applies to HGVs with a GVW over 7.5 tonnes performing in national and international transport between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM to ensure that there are no interruptions in the delivery of goods.
With night exemptions, the driving ban applies on:
– April 7, (Good Friday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM
– April 9, (Easter Sunday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM
– April 10, (Easter Monday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM
by Austria: HGV driving ban calendar for 2023
The regulation introducing the bans was published on 31 March.
The movement of lorries or articulated vehicles with a maximum permissible total weight of more than 7.5 t and lorries with trailers, where the combined maximum permissible weight of both vehicles exceeds 7.5 t is prohibited
1. along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley and the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pass on April 6, from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, April 7, from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM, April 8, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, April 25, from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, May 27, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM and on June 2, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM if the destination of the journey is located in Italy or in a country that has to be reached via Italy;
2. along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley and the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pass on all Saturdays from July 1, up to and including August 26, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM if the destination of the journey is located in Italy or in a country that has to be reached via Italy; and on April 7 and October 3 from midnight to 10:00 PM and on all Saturdays from July 1 to August 26, between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM if the destination of the journey is located in Germany or in a country that has to be reached via Germany;
3. on all Saturdays from July 1 up to and including August 26, between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM outside built-up areas in both directions on the
a) Loferer Straße B 178 from Lofer to Wörgl;
b) Ennstalstraße B 320 starting at road kilometer 4, 500;
c) Seefelder Straße B 177;
d) Fernpassstraße B 179 from Nassereith to Biberwier;
e) Achensee Straße B 181;
4. on all Saturdays from July 1 up to and including August 26, between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM on the A 4 motorway from the Schwechat junction to the Nickelsdorf state border in both directions, with the exception of terminating and originating traffic to and from the districts of Neusiedl am See, Eisenstadt, Eisenstadt area, Rust, Mattersburg, Bruck an der Leitha, Gänserndorf and Korneuburg.
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;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. Journeys with destinations in Italy or via Italy if they are made along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley or the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pass during the period specified in § 1 Items 1 or 2 and which can be credibly shown to be exempt from driving bans that apply in Italy;
5. Journeys with destinations in Germany or via Germany if they are made along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley or the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pas during the period specified in § 1 Items 1 or 2 and which can be credibly shown to be exempt from driving bans that apply in Germany.
The driving bans mentioned in § 1 items 3 and 4 do not apply to empty runs performed until 10 a.m. to the driver’s place of residence, company headquarters, freight terminal, truck yard, the vehicle’s permanent location or the place from which the driver can return using public transport or a company car.
by Catalonia: 7 days with additional restrictions on the AP-7
Additional restrictions for vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of more than 7.5 ton apply on March 31 and on 1, 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10 April.
On Friday, March 31 and on Thursday, April 6, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM:
⭕ between KP 126, exit 12B in La Roca del Vallès, Granollers and the connection with the C-60 road, in the municipality of La Roca del Vallés, and KP 172, exit 25 in Martorell and the connection with the A-2 motorway, in the municipality of Martorell, lorries are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
⭕ between KP 172, exit 25 in Martorell and the junction with the A-2, in the municipality of Martorell, and KP 176.6, exit 26 in Gelida and Sant Llorenç d’Hortons, southbound lorries are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles. On this section of the AP-7, the speed limit for light vehicles is 100 km/h, and for HGVs – 90 km/h.
⭕ on the Terres de l’Ebre section with only two lanes, between KP 257, exit 35 in Vila-seca, Salou, Reus S. and Port Aventura, in the municipality of Vila-seca, and KP 344.8 , the border between Tarragona and Castellón, in the municipality of Ulldecona, southbound lorries are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles.
On Saturday, April 1 and Friday, April 7, from 09:00 AM to 2:00 PM:
⭕ between KP 172, exit 25 in Martorell and the junction with the A-2, in the municipality of Martorell, and KP 176.6, exit 26 in Gelida y Sant Llorenç d’Hortons, southbound lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles. On this section of the AP-7, the speed limit for light vehicles is 100 km/h, and for HGVs – 90 km/h.
On Sunday, 2 and 9 April, and Monday, 10 April, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM:
⭕ With the creation of a lane in the opposite direction between KP 8 of the B-23 road, exit 8 at Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Molins de Rei Sud, and KP 213 of the AP-7 motorway, where AP-7 joins AP-2, in the municipality of Banyeres del Penedès, lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
⭕ For the same reason, due to the planned creation of lanes in the opposite direction on the AP-7 motorway, between KP 111.1, exit 11 at Sant Celoni and Montseny, in the municipality of Sant Celoni, and KP 133.8, exit 13 at Granollers, Montornés del Vallés and Vilanova del Vallés, lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
⭕ With the creation of a lane in the opposite direction on the C-32 motorway, between KP 114, exit 113 in Canet de Mar, and KP84.5, the junction with B-20 in Montgat, lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
by Slovakia: an exemption from the HGV driving ban
The Presidium of the Police of the Slovak Republic has granted a general exemption from the HGV driving ban on 7 April, which is a national holiday (Good Friday).
The exemption applies to all heavy goods vehicles traveling on motorways, first class roads and roads with international traffic, arriving in Slovakia from some neighboring countries and heading for destinations (e.g. company headquarters or place of unloading) located within Slovakia.
Please note that no exception has been granted for the holiday on April 10 (Easter Monday), so the HGV driving ban will apply as usual from 00:00 to 10:00 PM on that day.
by 4-day strike in Calais, Dunkirk, Coquelles Terminal and Dover – advice for hauliers
Civil Service industrial action scheduled to take place from 17 Februrary to 7:00 AM on 20 February will impact travellers (passengers and freight) entering the UK via the following ports:
– Port of Calais
– Port of Dunkirk
– Coquelles Channel Tunnel Terminal
– Port of Dover
Hauliers – impact of strike action
Hauliers who are moving goods during the proposed strike action should be prepared for potential disruption and longer queues at ports.
Advice for people entering the UK
Although this strike action targets the above ports, all those who are due to travel into the UK during the proposed industrial action should be prepared to face longer wait times at UK border control
by Tirol: 17 days with limited cross-border HGV traffic in the 2nd half of 2023
According to the restriction schedule for the second half of 2023, there are 17 days when the number of lorries passing through the checkpoint at the Kufstein-Nord border crossing on the A12 Inntal motorway near the will be limited to 300. A total of 41 such days have been planned for 2023.
As in previous years, the days have been chosen to mitigate the high intensity of HGV traffic following public holidays in Austria, Italy and Germany, which is due to holiday driving bans. For the first time the creation of this year’s schedule has been aided by a special traffic simulation model, which was used to predict disruptions to traffic flow on selected days. This approach was particularly helpful in accounting for the renovation work on the A 13 Brenner motorway, which is due to start in the autumn.
Days with restrictions in the second half of 2023:
– July 03 (Monday)
– July 10 (Monday)
– July 17 (Monday)
– July 24 (Monday)
– July 31 (Monday)
– September 29 (Friday)
– October 5 (Thursday)
– October 27 (Friday)
– November 2nd (Thursday)
– November 15 (Wednesday)
– November 16 (Thursday)
– November 22 (Wednesday)
– November 23 (Thursday)
– November 29 (Wednesday)
– November 30 (Thursday)
– November 12 (Monday)
– December 12 (Tuesday).
Remaining dats in the first half of the year
– April 26 (Wednesday)
– April 27 (Thursday)
– May 2nd (Tuesday)
– May 15 (Monday)
– May 16 (Tuesday)
– May 17 (Wednesday)
– May 19 (Friday)
– May 26 (Friday)
– May 27 (Saturday)
– May 30 (Tuesday)
– May 31 (Wednesday)
– June 1st (Thursday)
– June 3 (Saturday)
– June 5 (Monday)
– June 6 (Tuesday)
– June 7th (Wednesday)
– June 9 (Friday).