27. 07. 10. - 14:00

Worst holiday traffic weekend lies ahead

Experts have warned of the "worst traffic weekend this summer".

Officials of ÖAMTC and Arbö – Austria’s leading motorists’ associations – said today (Mon) record-breaking jams were expected to occur on several key travel routes across Austria as summer holidays start in the German provinces of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

Helmut Beigl of ÖAMTC said: "There was a 35-kilometre congestion at the Tauern tunnel (on the A10 motorway) on 1 August 2009."

Beigl added delays of several hours were also likely at the Inn Valley – Brenner route (A12 and A13), the Rhine Valley motorway (A14), the Pyhrn motorway (A9) and on the Fernpass road (B179).

Most of these routes lead south as hundreds of thousands of Austrians and Germans spend their summer holidays in Italy and Croatia every year.

Meanwhile, traffic experts also warned of massive tailbacks around the Hungaroring racing track near Hungarian capital Budapest where the Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place this weekend. They also stressed that motorsport fans must brace themselves for waiting times on the Austrian-Hungarian border.