Bavaria tunnels through mountains to ease Alpine traffic

Bavaria is pushing forward with a significant infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion in the popular Alpine region. The latest phase involves the commencement of the Auerbergtunnel, a 1.9-kilometer passage designed to connect the end of the A95 motorway to the existing Oberau tunnels.

This new tunnel, with an estimated cost of 240 million euros, is slated for completion in 2031. It is part of a larger, multi-stage plan to create a series of tunnels that will bypass towns and alleviate the notorious traffic jams that plague the route to mountain destinations like Garmisch-Partenkirchen, especially during peak tourist seasons.

While the Auerbergtunnel addresses a key bottleneck, the valley's traffic issues are not yet fully resolved. The Kramertunnel, intended to bypass Garmisch itself, is also under construction and faces potential cost overruns, with its final price still uncertain. Additionally, a tunnel through the Wank mountain, which would ease access to Mittenwald and Innsbruck, is still in the planning stages, with construction unlikely before 2030.

Collectively, these five tunnel projects represent a substantial investment by the federal government, projected to exceed 1.4 billion euros for the Loisachtal valley's bypasses. This extensive tunneling effort aims to improve travel times and reduce the impact of traffic on local communities, though the full benefits will only be realized once all components are operational.