Ellbögen mayor says no chaos as Brenner corridor closes for May 30 protest

On 30 May 2026 the Brenner corridor (Austria’s A13 motorway) will be completely closed during the Pentecost holidays as part of a coordinated protest by residents of the Wipptal valley. Mayor Walter Kiechl of Ellbögen, a municipality on the Brenner route, told reporters he is not afraid of traffic chaos, saying the authorities and police have prepared alternative routes and that the highway will be essentially empty.

The demonstration targets the heavy transit traffic that passes through the Alpine pass – about 10 million cars and 2.6 million trucks each year – which locals say creates noise, air‑pollution and congestion. Kiechl highlighted the proposed “Rolling Highway” (ROLA) concept, which would shift trucks onto rail, and stressed the need to complete the Brenner Base Tunnel’s approach roads to reduce future traffic.

Tyrol’s government has warned travellers to avoid the corridor, and the German foreign office updated its travel advisory for Austria. While some tourism and logistics businesses oppose the blockade, many residents support the action, hoping it will spur broader measures to limit transit traffic across the Alps.