Major avalanche danger and traffic problems in western Austria

After a landslide, 91 people were stuck in a nightclub in Dornbirn, but according to the city, there was no danger to them. In Tyrol there were problems not only on the roads, but also in rail traffic. In addition, the power went out in some places because trees fell on the lines.

The ÖAMTC reported deep winter road conditions, especially on the north side of the Alps and on the eastern edge of the Alps. Numerous main routes were difficult to pass on Saturday morning and there were repeated traffic jams and accidents. Motorways were also affected and vehicles got stuck, which in turn made road clearing work more difficult. For example, on Saturday morning the western motorway (A1) near Salzburg Nord was not passable due to truck recovery work. The situation on the Tauern motorway (A10) was little better; the Katschberg tunnel had to be closed at short notice in the southbound direction. In Tyrol, the Brenner Road (B182) near Gries was closed due to stuck vehicles and there were also obstructions on the A13, the Brenner Motorway, due to snowfall. Due to the snow load, trees were repeatedly broken – the fire brigades and clearance services worked at full speed.

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In many places there was more than 40 centimeters of fresh snow

Overnight, 50 centimeters of fresh snow or more had fallen in many places in the mountains of western Austria, which is why the second highest avalanche warning level was declared due to the conditions. This referred to locations above the tree line or 2,000 meters above sea level. Spontaneous avalanche releases were possible at any time and could endanger exposed areas. The avalanche warning services of the federal states described the often weak connection between new and old snow as problematic. Winter sports enthusiasts were urged to exercise extreme caution.

Due to the heavy snowfall, a landslide occurred in Dornbirn-Gütle around 4 a.m., which displaced parts of Ebniterstrasse and the parking lot of the “Conrad Sohm” nightclub. This meant that it was initially not possible for the 91 local guests to leave the area. The people are doing well and there is no danger, the city of Dornbirn said early Saturday morning. As soon as safe passage through the parking lot is possible, the evacuation of the building will begin, and work is in full swing.

Brenner motorway in Tyrol closed in sections

In Tyrol, the Brenner motorway (A22) had to be closed in sections due to stuck vehicles, but it was passable again on Saturday morning. Due to a power outage, the Roppener Tunnel on the Inntalautobahn (A12) was also impassable. But it wasn’t just the tunnel that was without power, but also households in 19 communities. According to ORF Radio Tirol, Sölden in the Ötztal was also affected.

According to the ÖBB, there were interruptions in rail traffic between Imst and Schönwies in the Landeck district and between Innsbruck and Scharnitz. The railway line between St. Margrethen in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen and the German border town of Lindau (Bavaria), which runs through Vorarlberg, was also closed. The reason for this was a catenary fault in Lindau.

ÖAMTC appeals to people to avoid unnecessary journeys

The ÖAMTC appealed to road users to find out about the current road and weather situation before starting their journey and to take snow chains with them when traveling to higher altitudes. No non-essential journeys should be avoided at this time.

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