Salzburg closes Neutor tunnel for six months
Sunday 13th September 2026 on 15:30 in
Austria
Salzburg will close the Neutor road tunnel in both directions from Monday for construction work linked to the expansion of the festival halls, ORF reports. The closure will affect cars, motorcycles, buses and public transport, forcing traffic to travel around the Mönchsberg.
The tunnel will remain completely closed until March 2027. From then until August 2030, it is expected to reopen with at least one lane in operation.
Access to the Altstadt garages in the Mönchsberg will remain possible from the Riedenburg district. The old town will also remain accessible, but residents, visitors, businesses and delivery vehicles will have to use Museumsplatz and Bürgerspitalsgasse.
Pedestrians will be able to cross the Neutor through a secured passage. Cyclists travelling from Karajanplatz towards Riedenburg can continue through the tunnel. Cyclists heading into the city must push their bicycles through in the opposite direction.
Salzburg’s public transport operator says it has been preparing for the closure for about a year. The operator’s managing director, Reinhard Gassner, advised people to make only necessary car journeys in the old town and to use buses or bicycles where possible.
Traffic planners expect particularly heavy traffic when schools return on Monday. Possible congestion points include Rudolfskai, Staatsbrücke, Ignaz-Harrer-Straße, Nonntaler Hauptstraße and the Mülln district. They recommend avoiding peak travel times, cycling, forming carpools or using public transport.
Buses will take longer routes
Trolleybus lines 1, 8 and 10, as well as route 22, will be rerouted via Mülln and Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz with increased frequency until 30 April 2027. The Mönchsbergaufzug and Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz stops will not be served until March 2027.
Route 10E will replace cancelled services in Maxglan. It will operate as a counterclockwise loop from Hans-Schmid-Platz via Schwedenstraße, the Riedenburg district, Reichenhaller Straße and Aiglhof.
The Müllner Hügel will also be closed to through traffic. Access will be restricted to buses, taxis and traffic travelling to or from destinations there. Alongside Sinnhubstraße, it is expected to be one of the busiest points, with about 60 buses passing each hour, or roughly one per minute.