Werfen-Pfarrwerfen motorway exit to close Saturday

The Werfen-Pfarrwerfen exit on the Tauern motorway will be closed northbound on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to prevent holidaymakers from diverting onto the Salzachtal federal road during traffic jams, ORF reported.

The restrictions are intended to manage the increasing return traffic as the school holidays in northern and eastern Germany approach their end. The Pongau interchange will remain largely accessible, although the smaller exit near the St Rupert Mission House to the B159 will also be closed.

A 100-kilometre-per-hour speed limit will apply along the entire route between Salzburg and the St Michael toll station in Lungau. Authorities expect the measure to help traffic flow more smoothly during peak periods. Asfinag plans to use the experience to prepare for future travel periods.

Until mid-September, drivers are strictly prohibited from using exits without a destination in the region between Puch-Urstein in Tennengau and Zederhaus in Lungau. However, the article said checks had so far proved ineffective.

Traffic volumes have risen significantly since the extensive renovation of the Tauern motorway tunnel chain. Nearly 12 million vehicles were recorded near Anif in the first half of the year, while about four million passed Zederhaus. Another major challenge is expected in two weeks, when holidaymakers from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, return north.