The municipality of Farchant is entering new territory. At least, Mayor Christian Hornsteiner (CSU) made it clear that this was done out of desperation. Yesterday, the town hall announced that a ban on transit traffic through the town center due to congestion will be introduced starting Friday, December 19. In the future, this will apply from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays in the southbound direction, whenever congestion occurs on the federal highway B2/23 and drivers attempt to bypass it through the village. “Road users are then obliged to stay on the bypass road,” the mayor emphasized. Only those who can provide a valid reason for entry are allowed to drive through Farchant. The police will also monitor compliance with this general community order.
The Problem: When Navigation Systems Take Control
The next phase of congestion in the Loisach Valley is approaching as inevitably as the sunrise. This is well known to both the head of the town hall and the members of the community council. It usually starts again with the Christmas holidays. Cars then pile up in front of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with the queue stretching back through the tunnel from the large intersection. When traffic metering is activated in the tunnel, irritated drivers immediately react by trying to cheat the transport system and bypass the avalanche of cars through Farchant. If someone doesn’t think of it themselves, the navigation system steers them off the highway and leads them through the village. “In most cases, it doesn’t help at all,” Hornsteiner admitted.
Yet this detour creates problems. “This is also about public safety,” the head of the town hall stressed. He explained that emergency services and fire fighters often find it very difficult to pass through the main street in an emergency. “This must come to an end.”
Many attempts have been made; fire fighters even sometimes monitored the B2 exit to the north. But this is not their job and not a permanent solution. Hornsteiner therefore contacted Chiemgau. There, around Rosenheim and the A8/A93 motorways, numerous communities struggle with a similar problem. Bans have been introduced. “I spoke with the District Administrator and the mayors; the situation has already improved, although the problem has not been completely eliminated.” However, the legal situation there is different: motorways and federal highways are different categories than the rural road that connects Farchant and Oberau today.
Jurisdiction Clarified: The Community Acts
The community initially believed that the district administration was responsible. This proved incorrect. “The competence of the subordinate traffic authority in the district office only extends to federal, state, and district roads,” was reported from their press office. “Consequently, issuing the transit ban order falls within the community of Farchant’s own competence.” The administration took on the task. And has now announced its implementation. Discussions were held with all authorities—all gave their consent. The police informed Hornsteiner that they would conduct checks depending on the situation. “And we hope that we can reduce the traffic flow,” the mayor stated. “We can only observe this.”
He named the biggest challenge as excluding the route through Farchant from navigation systems. “We have informed a department in Munich about this.” However, it is now also important to communicate the ban on the relevant days. “We have to do this from multiple sources.” In this way, they might be able to eliminate at least some of the detour traffic. “After all, people today only drive according to their navigation system; hardly anyone reads the signs.”
The signs will be installed on Friday. The State Building Authority Weilheim is providing support by allowing the signs to be erected on the federal highway. They will be activated as soon as the Farchant tunnel switches to traffic metering.
Source: DK
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