The key pointsThe alarm from Confcommercio TrentinoQuestion of national interest
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Tomorrow, Wednesday 3 April, checks will begin on the Lueg bridge, on the Austrian side of the Brenner motorway, in view of the reconstruction of the viaduct, scheduled for next year. As far as traffic is concerned, it is a sort of dress rehearsal for the chaos expected starting from spring 2025. From 3 to 12 April we will travel on a single lane heading south and from 10 to 30 April instead on a single lane north. There are fears of slowdowns and queues. Even during the resurfacing works, a single lane will be available in each direction.
For this reason, the hauliers are asking for a suspension of the night-time transit ban for trucks along the Brenner corridor for the duration of the works. The Lueg bridge, built 55 years ago, with its 1,804 meters is the longest viaduct on the Austrian section of the Brenner motorway. The costs of the intervention amount to approximately 300 million euros. The bridge is located approximately 6 kilometers from the border with Italy.
The alarm from Confcommercio Trentino
In recent weeks, Confcommercio Trentino had organized a press conference to raise awareness of public opinion and institutions on this new emergency arriving along the Alpine axis of Brenner, one of the main connecting arteries between Italy and Europe and a strategic infrastructure for our exports.
Along the Brenner corridor the circulation of heavy vehicles is already severely hindered by the bans imposed by Austria and against which the Italian government has lodged an appeal with the European Court of Justice.
Confcommercio Trentino explains: «The closure of the Lueg Bridge for modernization works, scheduled for two years starting from 2025, represents a serious threat for the economy of Trentino and, more generally, for the entire economy linked to the crossing of the Brenner. The likely kilometre-long queues and narrowing of the road caused by the works along the bridge will have a negative impact on traffic, with repercussions on various economic sectors, including road haulage, wholesale and retail trade, tourism, industry and craftsmanship”.