Lorüns bypass could begin around 2031

Construction of the Lorüns bypass in Vorarlberg could start around 2031, after the planned completion of the Feldkirch city tunnel, ORF reports. The state government has yet to approve the project in principle.

Under a “small-scale option” agreed in principle by the state, the Montafon association and local municipalities in July 2025, the Montafon Road (L188) would be rerouted close to the village, between the railway and the Ill. The railway line would move closer to the village, but the plan does not include a double-track expansion.

Lorüns Mayor Andreas Batlogg said the municipality and the state developed the option in 2021. Last autumn, the municipality was told work could begin after the Feldkirch tunnel was completed in 2030 or 2031. Batlogg said planning and preparation would be needed, but “nothing has happened in that direction” so far.

Batlogg expects the bypass to reduce traffic noise. Moving the railway would also allow barrier-free access and, he said, improve safety for children travelling to school in Bludenz.

Deputy Governor Christof Bitschi of the Freedom Party said the state had reviewed its infrastructure plans as part of budget consolidation. The bypass could proceed only after the Feldkirch tunnel, which the state plans to complete in 2030. Bitschi said the government intends to set out planning steps for projects scheduled after the tunnel in the coming months. The timing of the principle decision and construction remains unclear.

Batlogg said his trust in the state government was declining because, in his view, promises had not been kept. Asked whether he would see the bypass completed while he was mayor, he said: “That remains to be seen.”