After rockfall: Silvretta High Alpine Road closed until autumn

According to the owner of the tolled connection – the energy supplier illwerke vkw – the closure is expected to last until autumn; according to illwerke vkw spokesman Christof Burscher, a more precise time frame was not possible at this time. The second mudslide buried the road three to four metres deep over a length of 135 metres.

• Also read: Silvretta High Alpine Road closed after second rockfall

The earth masses – an estimate is 40,000 to 60,000 cubic meters of rubble – broke off on Saturday at an altitude of 1,960 meters and fell onto the road about 500 meters below. The area affected is the bends 13 and 14. The road was already closed at the time after a rockslide had already occurred on Friday in the area of ​​bend 14. Compared to Saturday, the first mudslide was downright “small” with about 1,000 cubic meters of material. No vehicles were hit and there were no injuries. The cause of the landslides was said to be a fracture, which in turn is likely to be due to the mild winter and the extreme weather events in recent months.

“Safety first”

As Burtscher explained when asked, a concept will be finalized this week on how the area should be secured and the road cleared. “We want to reopen the road to traffic as quickly as possible, but safety comes first, of course,” said Burtscher. From the Tyrolean side, the highest point of the connection – the Bielerhöhe at 2,032 meters above sea level – can be reached as usual.

The 22.3-kilometer-long Silvretta High Alpine Road is particularly popular with day-trippers. It runs from Gaschurn/Partenen to Galtür and winds its way through high alpine terrain in 34 bends. The winter closure of the connection only ended on June 15 this year.