The Luegbrücke Bridge on Austria's A13 highway is well known to international truck drivers as it is a crucial infrastructure along the Brenner axis, connecting Italy and Germany. Built between 1966 and 1968, it spans 1.804 kilometers, making it Austria's longest viaduct. It underwent its first revision in 2002, and between 2012 and 2014, the expansion joints were renewed and the supports replaced. In 2019, a complete replacement was considered, but the project was suspended due to opposition from the municipality of Gries.
The works carried out so far do not, according to Asfinag, allow for completely safe traffic flow. Thus, the company has decided to impose single-lane traffic from January 1, 2025. "Only by reducing the load through single-lane traffic can we keep the Luegbrücke Bridge operational, albeit in a limited capacity," says Hartwig Hufnagl, Asfinag's project director. The second lane might be reinstated on days with heavy traffic, but under strict safety conditions, including a maximum total weight. The company plans to resume the construction project for a new bridge once the legal dispute is resolved, expecting to complete an initial structure within two and a half to three years and finish by 2030.
This measure will primarily affect freight transport, as the single lane will lead to traffic metering and transit bans for industrial vehicles on other roads in Tyrol. Therefore, several Italian business associations (Anita, Agci Produzione e Lavoro, Cna Fita, Confartigianato Trasporto, Confcooperative Lavoro e Servizi, Fai, Fedit, Fiap, Legacoop Produzione e Servizi, Sna Casartigiani, Unatras, Unitai, and Uniontrasporti) have urged the Italian Transport Minister to request EU coordination among member states when restrictions are planned on key international transport routes.
The Italian associations also demand that during the entire period when the Luegbrücke is limited to a single lane, and in conjunction with any restrictive measures on heavy vehicle traffic at the Brenner, the night-time driving ban on the A12 and the increased night toll on the A13 be suspended.
