Those hoping to avoid this by taking backroads through villages should be cautious: transit bans are in effect in some areas.
Inspired by Austria: Backroad Bans
Pioneers of these so-called transit bans are some Austrian federal states bordering Germany, such as Tyrol. These lie on the route for many travelers heading to southern destinations like Italy. Because the main long-distance routes primarily lead via the Brenner or Tauern passes, they are naturally prone to congestion. This year, there are particularly many traffic jams on the classic Brenner route, as several bridges and road sections are in urgent need of renovation and have been partially closed.
So, it’s tempting to try and bypass traffic jams by diverting through villages – but this often causes the local infrastructure and traffic to grind to a complete halt, as the roads aren’t designed to handle the entire transit volume. To counter this, so-called exit bans are now in effect during peak times like summer holidays or public holidays – and they apply to everyone not traveling to a local destination.
Where Backroad Bans Apply in Germany
In Germany, so-called transit bans have also become a tool to limit through-traffic on major highways. The following bans are currently active:
Rosenheim and Berchtesgadener Land districts: Here, drivers are prohibited from using various exits of the A8 Munich–Salzburg and the A93 Rosenheim-Kufstein motorways to divert onto country roads during traffic jams from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays.
Exits along the A8: If your destination is not in the region, police will direct you back onto the motorway.
Affected exits include: Bad Aibling, Rosenheim-West, Rosenheim, Rohrdorf, Achenmühle, Frasdorf, Bernau am Chiemsee, and Felden. The ban now also applies to Neukirchen/Teisendorf, Anger, and Piding in the Berchtesgadener Land.
Where New Bans Could Soon Be Introduced
Other districts and regions are also considering implementing exit or transit bans. For example, the Ostallgäu district plans to introduce such a regulation on a trial basis. There, traffic jams regularly form on the A7 motorway due to block processing at the border near Füssen. However, when and in what form the bans will be implemented remains unclear, a spokesperson for the district administration said.
In the Miesbach district, which includes the popular Tegernsee valley, there have been long-standing considerations to join the approach of the neighboring Rosenheim district. A spokesperson stated that they are currently examining what is feasible under traffic law. Currently, during standstills on the A8, cars sometimes sit bumper-to-bumper through municipalities like Miesbach or Weyarn.
Furthermore, the Tegernsee valley, where traffic often stalls on sunny days due to the numerous visitors, is increasingly being used as a shortcut to Tyrol. Border municipalities in Tyrol have, in turn, responded with so-called traffic metering lights – giving priority to local residents and causing long wait times for out-of-town drivers. On a positive note: such metering lights are not currently planned along German highways.
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