Major fire in Vienna waste hall forces highway closure until at least Sunday

A significant section of Vienna's Südosttangente highway (A23) remains closed, with no clear reopening date, following a large fire at a waste processing facility.

The closure, affecting a heavily trafficked route between Kaisermühlen and the Stadlauer Tunnel, is in place because the affected waste hall is in danger of imminent collapse. An engineer's assessment confirmed the acute risk, prompting authorities to commission an external company for demolition work. Officials stated that safety is the top priority, and the closure will persist until the demolition progresses sufficiently, potentially extending beyond Sunday.

The fire, which broke out Friday evening, required a massive response from approximately 120 firefighters who worked for hours to prevent the flames from spreading to adjacent buildings. The blaze generated intense smoke and was difficult to combat due to the large volume of combustible material. Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control by Friday night, but extinguishing efforts and follow-up work continued into Saturday morning.

Motorists are being rerouted to surrounding roads, leading to anticipated traffic congestion and delays of 15 to 20 minutes throughout the weekend. Traffic authorities are advising drivers to seek alternative routes to avoid the affected area.

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Safety comes first.