Lower Austria examines permanent road crossing at Angern

Lower Austria is examining a permanent road connection across the March river near Angern to Slovakia, ORF reported. Deputy Governor Udo Landbauer said the region needed a direct and reliable road link.

A ferry currently provides the only direct regional connection between Angern in the Gänserndorf district and Záhorská Ves in Slovakia. The service was recently suspended because of the March’s low water level, frustrating commuters and businesses and prompting renewed calls for a bridge.

“We need a sensible solution that improves transport, is economically viable and, above all, takes clear account of the wishes of the population,” Landbauer, who is responsible for transport, said in a statement.

When the ferry is closed, travellers must take a route via Hohenau in the Gänserndorf district. That journey takes about 50 minutes and involves a detour of more than 100 kilometres each day, according to critics.

A feasibility study by the Lower Austrian road service from 2023 is now to be updated and used as the basis for a decision. Landbauer said, however, that he could not promise a bridge because its financing had not been settled.

The existing study examined options for a permanent road connection south of Angern, including different routes, their traffic impact and their technical, economic and environmental requirements.