Tirol invests millions to repair ageing hazard defences

Tirol invested €27 million in repairing and maintaining existing protective structures last year, nearly half of the Torrent and Avalanche Control Service’s total investment, ORF reports. Many of the region’s roughly 45,000 structures are ageing and need renovation.

In the Holzergraben ravine in Auffach, part of Wildschönau, work is under way on a project costing about €4.9 million to reduce the risk of mudflows and flooding. Construction began in 2025.

A large sediment-retention barrier is being built, along with seven consolidation barriers to stabilise the stream bed. Existing barriers are also being repaired and riverbanks secured to limit the amount of material washed downstream.

In the middle section of the ravine, 33 double-walled wooden barriers are being repaired or newly built. The work is challenging because some of the terrain is steep. The project, including follow-up work, is due to be completed by 2031.

Funding is being provided by the federal government, the state of Tirol, the state road administration and the municipalities of Wildschönau and Kundl.

Many of Tirol’s protective structures date from the 1960s and 1970s and are reaching the age when repairs are needed. Municipalities are generally responsible for their upkeep, while the service helps assess their condition and supports planning and construction.

Deputy Governor Josef Geisler said climate change was altering the patterns and potential of natural hazards, and that the existing level of protection needed to be adapted to current requirements. The service oversees 2,320 torrent catchment areas and 2,694 avalanche catchment areas, covering about 91 per cent of Tirol.