Innsbruck approves walking and cycling link to Völs

Innsbruck’s municipal council has approved a new walking and cycling route across the Inn River to Völs, ORF reports. The route will run alongside a planned bridge for the regional railway and is intended to make travel on foot and by bike safer and more comfortable.

The Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe, Innsbruck’s public transport operator, plans to build the railway bridge between Kranebitten and Völs, next to the existing road bridge. Joint planning will allow the new bridge to be widened to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

The new crossing will replace the current route over the existing state-road bridge. On the Innsbruck side, it will also make changes to an existing walking and cycling ramp unnecessary, along with the need to use land belonging to others. On the Völs side, the plan avoids an additional railway crossing for cyclists.

Railway line 5 currently runs between Rum station and the Technik West stop in Innsbruck. It is expected to reach Völs from 2032.

The cycle route forms part of a fast cycle path along the Inn. The state of Tyrol will cover 70 percent of the project costs, and the tourism association will contribute 75,000 euros. The bridge is expected to cost about 1.8 million euros. After funding, Innsbruck will pay around 223,500 euros, less than the roughly 235,000 euros estimated for the original route over the state-road bridge.