Autobahns of Austria
Encyclopedia
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
s in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. They are officially called Bundesstraßen A according to the Austrian federal
Federal republic
A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. A federation is the central government. The states in a federation also maintain the federation...
road act (Bundesstraßengesetz). The Austrian Autobahn network has a total length of 1699 km (1,055.7 mi) as of 2007.
History
Like in GermanyWeimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, ideas to built up a limited-access road
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
network with grade separated
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
interchanges had been developed already in the 1920s, including a "Nibelungen
Nibelungenlied
The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. The story tells of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge....
" highway along the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river from Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and further on towards Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. Those plans however had never been carried out due to the lasting economic crisis that hit the country after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
in 1918, exacerbated by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
The first autobahn in Austria was the West Autobahn from Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Building started immediately after the Austrian Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
in 1938 on order of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
as extension of the German Reichsautobahn Strecke 26 from Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(the present-day Bundesautobahn 8
Bundesautobahn 8
is an autobahn in southern Germany that runs 497 km from the Luxembourg A13 motorway at Schengen via Neunkirchen, Pirmasens, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg and Munich to the Austrian West Autobahn near Salzburg....
). However, only 16.8 km (10.4 mi) including the branch-off of the planned Tauern Autobahn
Tauern Autobahn
The Tauern Autobahn is an autobahn in Austria. It starts at the Salzburg junction with the Westautobahn , runs southwards, crosses the Tauern mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps and leads to the Süd Autobahn and Karawanken Autobahn at Villach in Carinthia...
had been finished on 13 September 1941. Construction works discontinued the next year due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war delaying resistance by the Soviet occupation forces as well as claims raised by West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
to the former Reichsautobahn assets obstructed the resumption until 1954.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-occupied zone of Salzburg
Salzburg (state)
Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
and Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
, partly relying on the pre-war planning, and were extended after the country gained full sovereignty by the 1955 Austrian State Treaty
Austrian State Treaty
The Austrian State Treaty or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying powers and the Austrian government...
. The first section of the West Autobahn up to Mondsee was opened in 1958, by 1967 the route between Salzburg and Vienna was completed. From 1959 onwards the Süd Autobahn
Süd Autobahn
The Süd Autobahn is a motorway, or ‘Autobahn’, in Austria. It runs from Vienna south to the border of Italy, crossing the cities of Graz and Klagenfurt.-External links:...
was built to reach the southern state capitals of Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
and Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
from Vienna. The construction of the Tauern Autobahn was not resumed until 1969. The Inn Valley Autobahn
Inn Valley Autobahn
The Inn Valley Motorway or Inntal Autobahn A12 is an autobahn in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol and part of Euroroutes E45 and E60....
in the western state of Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
was built from 1968 onwards, up to today it is not directly connected to the main Austrian autobahn network, as via motorway drivers have to use the German autobahns BAB 8
Bundesautobahn 8
is an autobahn in southern Germany that runs 497 km from the Luxembourg A13 motorway at Schengen via Neunkirchen, Pirmasens, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg and Munich to the Austrian West Autobahn near Salzburg....
and 93
Bundesautobahn 93
The Bundesautobahn 93 is an autobahn in Bavaria with a length of 276 km. It consists of two parts one is a short track, from the A 8, near the Austrian border, to the Inntal Autobahn in Tyrol, Austria, the other from Hof A 72 in the north of Bavaria to Holledau A 9. A...
along the Deutsches Eck
Deutsches Eck (transport link)
The Deutsches Eck is the name given to the shortest and most convenient road and railway link between the Austrian metropolitan region of Salzburg and the Tyrolean Unterland with the state capital Innsbruck....
link.
Autobahn system
Austria currently has 18 autobahns, since 1982 built and maintained by the self-financed ASFiNAG stock company in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, which is wholly owned by the Austrian republic and earns revenue from road-user charges and tolls. Each route bears a number as well as an official name with local reference, which however is not displayed on road signs. Unusually for European countries, interchanges
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
(between motorways called Knoten, "knots") are numbered by distance in kilometres starting from where the route begins; this arrangement is also used in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and most provinces of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(and in most American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states, albeit in miles).
The system is going to be expanded; one Autobahn is currently under construction, and one more is planned. In spite of Austria's relatively low population density, the motorway density per capita is the highest in Europe, due to the state's location in the centre of the continent. The transit traffic across the main chain of the Alps
Main chain of the Alps
The Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the water divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest peaks of a range; the Alps are something of an unusual case in that several significant groups of...
especially by trucks had led to a considerable environmental load to the fragile Alpine ecosystem. Several action groups urge the transfer of freight transport from road to rail. In 1991 Austria signed the Alpine Convention
Alpine Convention
The Alpine Convention is an international territorial treaty for the sustainable development of the Alps. The objective of the treaty is to protect the natural environment of the Alps while promoting its development. This Framework Convention involves the European Union and eight States...
on the protection of the natural environment.
| Number | Name | Route | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Autobahn | Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... Auhof Penzing (Vienna) Penzing is the 14th District of Vienna and consists of the boroughs of Penzing, Breitensee, Baumgarten, Hütteldorf and Hadersdorf-Weidlingau. In the west, it shares a border with Purkersdorf and Mauerbach... – Sankt Pölten Sankt Pölten Sankt Pölten is the capital city of the State of Lower Austria in northeast Austria. With inhabitants , it is Lower Austria's largest city... – Linz Linz Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about... – Salzburg Salzburg -Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for... – Walserberg Wals-Siezenheim Wals-Siezenheim is a municipality in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Salzburg.-Overview:It is located west of the city of Salzburg, at the border with Germany... border crossing (German Bundesautobahn 8 Bundesautobahn 8 is an autobahn in southern Germany that runs 497 km from the Luxembourg A13 motorway at Schengen via Neunkirchen, Pirmasens, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg and Munich to the Austrian West Autobahn near Salzburg.... ) |
292 km (181.4 mi) | open | |
| Süd Autobahn Süd Autobahn The Süd Autobahn is a motorway, or ‘Autobahn’, in Austria. It runs from Vienna south to the border of Italy, crossing the cities of Graz and Klagenfurt.-External links:... |
Vienna Inzersdorf Inzersdorf (Vienna) Inzersdorf was before 1938 an independent municipality, and is now a part of the 23rd Viennese district Liesing.... interchange (A23) – Wiener Neustadt Wiener Neustadt -Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to... – Graz Graz The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students... – Klagenfurt Klagenfurt -Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters... – Thörl-Maglern Arnoldstein Arnoldstein is a market town in the district of Villach-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia.-Location:Arnoldstein is located at Austria's southern border between the Carnic Alps and the Karawanken mountain range, near the confluence of the Gailitz and the Gail River... border crossing (Italian Autostrada 23 Autostrade of Italy The Autostrada is the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about 6,400 km. In North and Central Italy this is mainly as tollways, with the biggest portion in concession to the Atlantia group which operates some 3,408 km... ) |
377 km (234.3 mi) | open | |
| Südost Autobahn Südost Autobahn The Südost Autobahn is a motorway, or ‘Autobahn’, in Austria. It runs from the Süd Autobahn at the junction Knoten Guntramsdorf southeast to Eisenstadt. Near Eisenstadt the A3 ends, but it is planned to build the Südost Autobahn to the border with hungary.-References:thumb|left|Südostautobahn... |
Guntramsdorf Guntramsdorf Guntramsdorf is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.... interchange (A2) – Eisenstadt Eisenstadt - Politics :The current mayor of Eisenstadt is Andrea Fraunschiel ÖVP.The district council is composed as follows :* ÖVP: 17 seats* SPÖ: 8 seats* Austrian Green Party: 2 seats* FPÖ: 2 seats- Castles and palaces :... interchange (S31) |
38 km (23.6 mi) | open; Eisenstadt – Klingenbach Klingenbach Klingenbach is a town in Burgenland, Austria in the Eisenstadt-Umgebung district. It is located near the border with Hungary with a border crossing into Sopron.... border crossing (Hungarian M85 motorway M8 motorway (Hungary) The M8 is a planned Hungarian motorway, which when finished, will connect the western part of the country, near the Austrian border to Szolnok in the central part of the country. It will be partially concurrent with the European route E66 .The construction started in 2007 and it is planned to be... ): planned |
|
| Ost Autobahn Ostautobahn The Ost Autobahn A4 or "Eastern Motorway" is part of the Europastraße E60 and goes from Vienna to the town of Nickelsdorf, on the Hungarian border.... |
Vienna Erdberg Landstraße Landstraße is the 3rd municipal District of Vienna, Austria] . It is near the center of Vienna and was established in the 19th century. Landstraße is a heavily populated urban area with many workers and residential homes. It has inhabitants in an area of 7.42 km². It has existed since... – Schwechat Schwechat Schwechat is a city south-east of Vienna known for the Vienna International Airport and Schwechater beer. It is also home to the refineries belonging to the Austrian national oil company OMV.- Geography :... – Nickelsdorf Nickelsdorf Nickelsdorf is a town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Austria.- Geography :Nickelsdorf is the only town in the municipality... border crossing (Hungarian M1 motorway M1 motorway (Hungary) The M1 motorway is a long highway in northwestern Hungary, connecting Budapest to Győr and Vienna. The first section of the motorway opened in the 1970s, reaching the Austrian border at Hegyeshalom in 1996. It follows the route of the old Route 1 one-lane highway.- Junctions, exits and rest areas... ) |
66 km (41 mi) | open | |
| Nord Autobahn | Eibesbrunn Großebersdorf Großebersdorf is a town in the district of Mistelbach in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.... interchange (S1) – Wolkersdorf Wolkersdorf im Weinviertel Wolkersdorf im Weinviertel is a town in the district of Mistelbach in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is situated in the Weinviertel, about 15 km north of Vienna, on the main road from Vienna to Brno . The municipality consists of the subdivisions Wolkersdorf, Riedenthal, Pfösing,... – Schrick Gaweinstal Gaweinstal is a town in the district of Mistelbach in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.... |
24 km (14.9 mi) | open; Schrick – Drasenhofen Drasenhofen Drasenhofen is a municipality in the district of Mistelbach in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is located directly on the border with Czech Republic... border crossing (Czech R52 expressway): planned |
|
| Nordost Autobahn | Bruckneudorf Bruckneudorf Bruckneudorf is a small town in the district of Neusiedl am See in the federal state of Burgenland in Austria, neighbouring Bruck an der Leitha . Its name means "Bridge New Village" while the Hungarian version means "Royal Bridge", and the "Royal" refers to King Francis I... interchange – Kittsee Kittsee Kittsee is an Austrian municipality in the District of Neusiedl am See, Burgenland.- Geography :Kittsee lies 32 km northeast from Neusiedl am See, on the Slovak border opposite Bratislava, with crossings into the Bratislava suburb of Jarovce... border crossing (Slovakian D4 motorway) |
22 km (13.7 mi) | open | |
| Mühlkreis Autobahn Mühlkreis Autobahn The Mühlkreis Autobahn is an Autobahn in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. It runs from the West Autobahn and the city of Linz to the Mühlviertel in the north, where it ends near the small municipality of Unterweitersdorf.... |
Linz Linz Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about... interchange (A1) – Unterweitersdorf Unterweitersdorf Unterweitersdorf is a municipality in the district of Freistadt in Upper Austria, Austria.... (connection Mühlviertler Schnellstraße Mühlviertler Schnellstraße Mühlviertler Schnellstraße is an under construction schnellstraße in Austria. One section of the Neumarkt tunnel is already in operation.... (S10) to Czech R3 expressway under construction) |
29 km (18 mi) | open | |
| Innkreis Autobahn Innkreis Autobahn The Innkreis Autobahn is a motorway, or ‘Autobahn’, in Austria. It runs A1 and A9 junction to the border with Germany .The last section of motorway was built in 2003.... |
Voralpenkreuz Sattledt Sattledt is a municipality in the district of Wels-Land in Upper Austria, Austria.... interchange (A1, A9) – Wels Wels Wels is the second largest city of the state of Upper Austria, located in the north of Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is not part of its surrounding Wels County , but a so-called Statutarstadt . However, Wels is the county seat of Wels-Land.- Geography :Wels is located in the... – Suben Suben Suben is a municipality in the district of Schärding in Upper Austria, Austria. It is not far from the Austrian-German border. The village has a prison.... border crossing (German Bundesautobahn 3) |
76 km (47.2 mi) | open | |
| Pyhrn Autobahn | Voralpenkreuz Sattledt Sattledt is a municipality in the district of Wels-Land in Upper Austria, Austria.... interchange (A1, A8) – Graz Graz The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students... – Spielfeld Spielfeld Spielfeld is a municipality in the district of Leibnitz in Styria, Austria. It was an Austria-Slovenia border crossing checkpoint until December 21 2007 when all immigration and customs checks ended after Slovenia joined the Schengen Area. The Slovene town opposite Spielfeld is Šentilj.... border crossing (Slovenian A1 motorway A1 motorway (Slovenia) The A1 motorway is 236,1 km long, connecting Šentilj and Koper/Capodistria . It passes several important Slovenian cities, including Maribor, Celje and Ljubljana all the way to the Slovenian Littoral and Koper, with its important port.Construction began in 1970 and the first section was... ) |
230 km (142.9 mi) | open; some two-way tunnels | |
| Tauern Autobahn Tauern Autobahn The Tauern Autobahn is an autobahn in Austria. It starts at the Salzburg junction with the Westautobahn , runs southwards, crosses the Tauern mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps and leads to the Süd Autobahn and Karawanken Autobahn at Villach in Carinthia... |
Salzburg Salzburg -Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for... interchange (A1) – Villach Villach Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:... interchange (A2, A11) |
194 km (120.5 mi) | open | |
| Karawanken Autobahn Karawanken Autobahn The Karawanken Autobahn is an autobahn in Austria. It runs about from the Villach junction with the Süd Autobahn and the Tauern Autobahn southwards to the Slovenian border where it connects the A2 motorway leading to Ljubljana... |
Villach Villach Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:... interchange (A2, A10) – Karawanken Tunnel Karawanken Tunnel (motorway) The Karawanken Tunnel is a motorway tunnel crossing the Alpine Karavanke mountain range between Austria and Slovenia, with a total length of , enclosure between the portals.Its construction began in 1986 and it opened on June 1, 1991... border crossing (Slovenian A2 motorway A2 motorway (Slovenia) The A2 motorway is a motorway in Slovenia, around 175 km long, connecting Karavanke Tunnel via the capital city Ljubljana to Obrežje . It connects several larger Slovenian cities, including Kranj, Ljubljana and Novo Mesto, and is part of the Pan-European corridor X.The motorway was completed... ) |
21 km (13 mi) | open; one two-way tunnel | |
| Inntal Autobahn | Kufstein Kufstein Kufstein is a city in Tyrol, Austria, located along the river Inn, in the lower Inn valley, near the border with Bavaria, Germany, and is the site of a post World War II French sector United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons camp.Kufstein is the second largest city... border crossing (German Bundesautobahn 93 Bundesautobahn 93 The Bundesautobahn 93 is an autobahn in Bavaria with a length of 276 km. It consists of two parts one is a short track, from the A 8, near the Austrian border, to the Inntal Autobahn in Tyrol, Austria, the other from Hof A 72 in the north of Bavaria to Holledau A 9. A... ) – Innsbruck Innsbruck - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus... – Zams Zams Zams is a municipality in the district of Landeck in Tyrol, Austria.-Geography:It is situated in a river basin together with its neighbour town Landeck near the rivers Inn and Sanna. The geographical location is . Here the old roads coming from Vinschgau, Engadin, Bavaria and Lake Constance... (Arlberg Schnellstraße (S16)) |
145 km (90.1 mi) | open | |
| Brenner Autobahn | Innsbruck Innsbruck - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus... interchange (A12) – Brenner Pass Brenner Pass - Roadways :The motorway E45 leading from Innsbruck via Bolzano to Verona and Modena uses this pass, and is one of the most important north-south connections in Europe... border crossing (Italian Autostrada 22 Autostrade of Italy The Autostrada is the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about 6,400 km. In North and Central Italy this is mainly as tollways, with the biggest portion in concession to the Atlantia group which operates some 3,408 km... ) |
35 km (21.7 mi) | open | |
| Rheintal/Walgau Autobahn | Hörbranz Hörbranz Hörbranz is a municipality in the district of Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria.-References:... border crossing (German Bundesautobahn 96 Bundesautobahn 96 is a motorway in southern Germany, leading from the Austrian border near Lindau through Memmingen, Landsberg am Lech to Munich. Two European routes lead through the autobahn: E 43 and E 54.... ) – Bregenz Bregenz -Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team.... – Feldkirch Feldkirch Feldkirch can refer to:In Austria:* Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, a medieval city and capital of an administrative district* Feldkirch , an administrative division of VorarlbergIn France:* Feldkirch, Haut-Rhin, a commune in France.... – Bludenz Bludenz Bludenz is a town in the state of Vorarlberg in Austria. The town, surrounded by mountains, lies at the meeting point of five different valleys: The Klostertal, The Montafon, The Walgau, The Brandnertal, The Groß Walsertal.... -Montafon Montafon Montafon is a valley in Austria that extends from the city of Bludenz to the Silvretta mountain range. It is also known in the local dialect as Muntafu.... (Arlberg Schnellstraße (S16)) |
61 km (37.9 mi) | open; one two-way tunnel | |
| Wiener Außenring Autobahn | Steinhäusl Altlengbach Altlengbach is a town in the district of Sankt Pölten-Land in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.There are the following localities in the town:... interchange (A1) – Alland Alland Alland is a town in the district of Baden in Lower Austria in Austria. It is about 20 km southwest of Vienna and is one of the many towns in Lower Austria located in the Wienerwald.-History:... – Vösendorf Vösendorf Vösendorf is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.... interchange (A2, S1) |
38 km (23.6 mi) | open | |
| Donauufer Autobahn | Vienna Kaisermühlen Donaustadt Donaustadt is the 22nd district of Vienna, Austria .Donaustadt is the eastern fourth of Vienna.- Geography :The Donaustadt district is in the northeast part of Vienna and is the largest of the districts in area, occupying about one-quarter of the Vienna city area, 102.24 km².It borders the... interchange (A23) – Korneuburg Korneuburg Korneuburg is a town in Austria. It is located in the state Lower Austria and is the administrative center of the district of Korneuburg. Korneuburg is situated on the left bank of the Danube, opposite the city of Klosterneuburg, and is 12 km northwest of Vienna... – Stockerau Stockerau Stockerau is a town in the district of Korneuburg in Lower Austria, Austria.Leisure facilities are various: wellness centre, sports centre with three gyms, judo and table tennis gym, skittle alley and football stadium... interchange (S3, S5) |
34 km (21.1 mi) | open; Kaisermühlen – Kaiserebersdorf Simmering Simmering is a food preparation technique in which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept at or just below the boiling point of water , but higher than poaching temperature... interchange (A4): proposed |
|
| Autobahn Südosttangente Wien | Vienna Altmannsdorf Meidling Meidling is the 12th district of Vienna . It is located just southwest of the central districts, south of the Wienfluss, west of the Gürtel belt, and east and southeast of Schönbrunn palace... – Vienna Hirschstetten Donaustadt Donaustadt is the 22nd district of Vienna, Austria .Donaustadt is the eastern fourth of Vienna.- Geography :The Donaustadt district is in the northeast part of Vienna and is the largest of the districts in area, occupying about one-quarter of the Vienna city area, 102.24 km².It borders the... |
18 km (11.2 mi) | open; Hirschstetten – Raasdorf Raasdorf Raasdorf is a town in the district of Gänserndorf in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.... interchange (S1): planned |
|
| Verbindungsspange Rothneusiedl |
Vienna Hanssonkurve interchange (A23) – Vienna Rothneusiedl Favoriten Favoriten, the 10th district of Vienna, Austria , is located south of the central districts. It is south of Innere Stadt, Wieden and Margareten... interchange (S1) |
0 km | plans rejected | |
| Welser Autobahn | Haid Ansfelden Ansfelden is a town in Upper Austria, Austria, located 289 metres above sea level, with a population of about 15300. The rivers Traun and Krems run through the municipality... interchange (A1)– Wels Wels Wels is the second largest city of the state of Upper Austria, located in the north of Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is not part of its surrounding Wels County , but a so-called Statutarstadt . However, Wels is the county seat of Wels-Land.- Geography :Wels is located in the... interchange (A8) |
20 km (12.4 mi) | open | |
| Linzer Autobahn | Hummelhof Linz Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about... interchange (A7) – Urfahr Linz Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about... interchange (A7) |
0 km | planned | |
| Total length | 1720 km (1,068.8 mi) | |||
Tolls
Since 1997, the use of all autobahns requires the purchase of a vignetteVignette (road tax)
A road tax vignette is a form of tax on vehicles, used in several non-English speaking European countries. The term is of French origin, and is now used throughout Central Europe....
(toll sticker) for passenger cars up to 3.5 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s or a GO-Box (electronic toll system) for trucks and buses. On routes which are more costly to maintain, mostly Alpine
Central Eastern Alps
The Central Eastern Alps comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition....
routes with tunnels —sections of the Pyhrn Autobahn, the Tauern Autobahn
Tauern Autobahn
The Tauern Autobahn is an autobahn in Austria. It starts at the Salzburg junction with the Westautobahn , runs southwards, crosses the Tauern mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps and leads to the Süd Autobahn and Karawanken Autobahn at Villach in Carinthia...
(Tauern Tunnel
Tauern Road Tunnel
The Tauern Road Tunnel is located in the Austrian federal state of Salzburg in Austria on the Tauern Autobahn north - south connection between Germany and Italy and Slovenia. This is a toll road. Since October 2007, the toll has been 12 euros per car and journey...
) and the Karawanken Autobahn
Karawanken Autobahn
The Karawanken Autobahn is an autobahn in Austria. It runs about from the Villach junction with the Süd Autobahn and the Tauern Autobahn southwards to the Slovenian border where it connects the A2 motorway leading to Ljubljana...
(Karawanken Tunnel
Karawanken Tunnel
Karawanken Tunnel or Karavanke Tunnel may refer to two tunnels connecting Austria and Slovenia under the Karawanken mountain range:*Karawanken Tunnel , a 7864 metre-long motorway tunnel, completed in 1991...
), as well as the Brenner Autobahn— an additional toll (Maut) is required which is collected at time of use via toll plazas.
Vignettes (coll. Pickerl) are available in varying lengths of validity (10 days, 2 months or a year). A vignette valid for a year currently (2011) costs 76.50 EUR for cars and 30.50 EUR for motorcycles. Since 2004 trucks must carry the GO-Box, a little white box which counts the length of the Autobahn used by way of electrical control points, queried by overhead DSRC microwave radio transceivers at different locations. Overhead 3-D infrared laser scanners are used to detect and photograph trucks travelling without it.
Traffic laws and enforcement
Unlike German autobahns, on Austrian autobahns a general speed limitSpeed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
of 130 km/h (81 mph) is set. They may only be used by powered vehicles that are designed to achieve at least 60 km/h (37.3 mph). While on the motorway voluntary stops, U-turns and backward driving are prohibited.
Schnellstraßen
The Schnellstraßen (Bundesstraßen S) limited-access highwayLimited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
system has a total length of 462 km (287.1 mi). To use Schnellstraßen, a vignette or GO-Box is required as well.
Schnellstraßen are very similar to the Autobahnen; the chief difference is that they are more cheaply built with smaller curve radius and fewer bridges and tunnels. As they fit better with the mountainous topography of Austria, they often serve as an Autobahn substitute. For example, the main link between the Austria's westernmost state of Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
and adjacent Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
is entirely provided by the S16 Arlberg Schnellstraße, including the Arlberg Road Tunnel
Arlberg Road Tunnel
The Arlberg Road Tunnel with a length of 13,976 metres is Austria's longest road tunnel. It carries the S16 Arlbergschnellstraße under the Arlberg massif from Tyrol to Vorarlberg....
completed in 1979.
External links
- Autobahnen und Schnellstraßen finanzierungs AG (ASFINAG), Austria's autobahn agency