Austria anticipates major weekend traffic jams on highways amid holiday travel and rally

The Austrian automobile association ARBÖ warns of severe traffic congestion throughout the upcoming weekend. A surge of holiday travelers from Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine‑Westphalia, will strain major transit routes, while the Austrian Rallye Challenge in Weiz (16‑18 July) and a full closure of the B25 near Ybbs add further delays. Expected bottlenecks include the Pyhrnautobahn (A9) around several tunnel sections, the Tauernautobahn (A10) near the St. Michael toll station, the Karawankenautobahn (A11) before the Karawank tunnel, the Inntalautobahn (A12) near the Kufstein/Kiefersfelden border, the Brennerautobahn (A13) at the Schönberg toll station, and the Fernpassstraße (B179) around Reutte, Lermoos and Nassereith. ARBÖ advises travelers to postpone trips if possible, or to depart very early or late, stay hydrated, keep children occupied, and take regular breaks. The organization also notes that vehicles not part of regular origin‑destination traffic must remain on the highway during jams.