Traffic jams on numerous routes Most important Alpine route closed - Switzerland also feels the effects this weekend
On Saturday, May 30, the Brenner freeway will be closed for eight hours due to an authorized demonstration. This will increase the pressure on the Gotthard and could cause another traffic jam a week after Whitsun.
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- On Saturday, May 30, the Brenner highway will be closed from 11 am to 7 pm.
- The reason is an authorized demonstration by the Tyrolean municipalities in the Brenner corridor.
- The full closure and the alternative traffic will lead to traffic jams in various places beyond Tyrol and South Tyrol or lengthen the queues, including at San Bernardino and Gotthard.
Anyone who believes that after Whitsun and before the summer vacations, the Gotthard will be free for traffic could be proven wrong, especially on Saturday, May 30. The reason: the Brenner Pass, the bottleneck between Austria and Italy, will be closed - for eight hours. What you need to know about the Brenner blockade.
Authorized blockade: why the Brenner is being closed
The reason for the closure is an authorized protest action by the population of the communities on the Austrian section of the roads over the Brenner Pass. People are suffering from the high volume of traffic and regular traffic jams, both on the highway and on the other roads in the Alpine valley.
Karl Mühlsteiger, mayor of Gries am Brenner, is the face of the protest and organizer of the demonstration. He tells ORF, for example, that it is time to set an example, because things cannot go on like this. The burden on the population caused by traffic, particulate matter and noise is enormous.
Mühlsteiger tells the Bayern24 portal that he and other representatives of the valley have been negotiating with politicians for years to at least be protected from the noise. But they have achieved nothing. They are still interested in negotiations.
From South Tyrol to Tyrol: no getting through here on Saturday
The Schönhausen toll station marks the start of the closed Brenner corridor. It will be closed from 11 am. Traffic jams are likely to form long before then, as road users will try to get through or postpone their journey until the day before. The Brennerstrasse B 182, the Ellbögener Strasse L 38 and the Stubaitalstrasse B 183 will also be closed to through traffic.
The Italian police close the Brenner highway A22 on the south side from Sterzing as early as 10 am. This closure will not be lifted until 8 pm. "In the event of heavy congestion, the closure of the highway will be moved to Brixen, Klausen or Bozen," warns the ADAC.
The eastern bottleneck is closed: what Italy and Austria are doing
The authorities in Austria and Italy are urgently warning against driving over the Brenner Pass on Saturday. "Avoid unnecessary car journeys on May 30, 2026. Alternatively, use public transport," writes the state of Tyrol on its website.
Traffic will already be metered at the borders of the province of Tyrol. If there is too much congestion, the state borders will even be closed, reports the ADAC. It is to be expected that regular entry into Tyrol will not be possible.
Blockade does not apply to everyone: some are allowed through
Only those who live along the route of the Brenner highway or have a booked destination in this region will be allowed to pass through one of the roads. Guests departing from the area around the Brenner highway in Tyrol on May 30 can also do so. However, they too must expect delays. The province of Tyrol recommends that you postpone your departure to another day.
However, the organizers of the protest guarantee free travel for emergency vehicles. Everyone else will have to wait until the closure is lifted at 7 pm in the evening.
Traffic jams in Switzerland too: Gotthard and San Bernardino are alternative routes
The San Bernardino is the closest highway across the Alps to the west, while the Gotthard highway is a little further west. More traffic than normal is expected on both routes due to the Brenner failure.
As return traffic is also expected this weekend due to the Whitsun vacations, (more) congestion is also likely on these two roads.
Alternatives that are not alternatives: Tauern highway and Reschenpass
The Tauern highway further east will probably not be able to cope with the alternative traffic. There is also a high probability of traffic jams there on Saturday.
The Reschen Pass in South Tyrol will also remain open. However, construction work is underway there, which is also restricting capacity with narrowing and traffic lights. The additional traffic due to the Brenner blockade could therefore also lead to a collapse there.
The reactions: Understanding and harsh criticism
Karl Mühlsteiger tells ORF that only a tiny proportion of the emails he has received about the demonstration have been negative. Criticism comes from Bavaria, whose transport minister believes that this is no way to treat neighbors.
The governor of South Tyrol has sent letters of protest to Vienna and Innsbruck. May 30th lies between Whitsun, the Italian national holiday on June 2nd and Corpus Christi on June 4th. He is expecting a traffic collapse in South Tyrol.
