At the State Association of Bavarian Freight Forwarders (LBS) they foresee a “difficult situation”. The Fern Pass, on which vehicles jostle through the Alps to and from the Allgäu, is still freely passable – with the emphasis on “still”. The busy road is to be subject to a toll, and extensive construction work is also planned. As soon as these have begun, disruptions elsewhere in Bavaria can also be expected, says LBS managing director Sabine Lehmann on the phone. The other crossings in the Alpine region are also often overloaded. “At the end of the day we will have to see how we can cope with the limited resources.”
In fact, the road connections between Bavaria and Tyrol often resemble bottlenecks. A comparatively large amount of traffic has to pass through on a few routes – more than sometimes there is space. And in the future, one of these bottlenecks could become even smaller if Tyrol gets serious about its plans and then imposes a toll next to construction sites on the Fern Pass to slow down traffic. Even if many people over in Bavaria probably won’t like it. It’s not just at LBS that they fear traffic being diverted to other routes and even more traffic jams.
The long-distance pass is particularly popular with holidaymakers and commuters; freight traffic is limited to trucks up to 7.5 tonnes. The Fernpass road B 179 begins in Tyrol near Nassereith and runs through the mountains towards Lermoos and Reutte. From there a tunnel leads further to Füssen. At Lermoos, the B 187 branches off towards Ehrwald, which later leads to Garmisch-Partenkirchen as the B 23. A scenically interesting option to save yourself the toll on the Inntal motorway – or the sometimes steep road from Garmisch via Mittenwald, Scharnitz and the Zirler Berg. According to the state government in Innsbruck, up to 30,000 vehicles use the Fernpass every day, making it “one of the most heavily used road connections in Tyrol”.
The Fernpass road leads from Füssen and Reutte to Nassereith in Tyrol and the Inn Valley. At Lermoos there is also a connection to Garmisch. Parts of the route could be subject to tolls in the future.
(Photo: SZ-MAP/Mapcreator.io/OSM)
That should change. At the end of January, the state government presented its “Fernpass package”. “Not a new transit route, but more traffic safety, a reliable connection to the Inn Valley and strengthening regional purchasing power” – that’s what the accompanying press release is titled. The package therefore includes, among other things, the construction of a second tube in the Lermoos Tunnel, the construction of a Fernpass tunnel and “the introduction of a Fernpass through toll”. Most recently there was talk of 14 euros, which could be due per trip from 2028. The first work orders have already been awarded to the responsible offices, and there was also an information event in Ehrwald. Investments of around half a billion euros are planned over the next 15 years.
But in Bavaria the plans are met with less enthusiasm: some see themselves deprived of their connection to the south, others fear the alternative traffic. The district administrator of the Oberallgäu district, Indra Baier-Müller (FW), promptly wrote a letter to her colleague on the other side of the border. Accordingly, it is “particularly regrettable” that “there was no early coordination with the state of Bavaria” and the neighboring districts. Further points of criticism: The construction work would mean a “drastic” intervention in nature, but would only result in a “time saving of three minutes” per trip. The toll of 14 euros also appears “disproportionately high” and could represent a “significant restriction” for citizens, excursionists and suppliers. For comparison: the ten-day vignette for the Austrian motorways costs car drivers 11.50 euros.
In Tyrol people are apparently trying to smooth things over. A few days after the “Fernpass package” was presented, State Transport and Mobility Councilor René Zumtobel met with his Bavarian counterpart Christian Bernreiter (CSU) in Munich. “Cross-border challenges” can only be overcome “together,” Zumtobel said afterwards. Bernreiter made a similar statement – but also stated that there should be “no discrimination” for travelers and Bavarian residents.
To what extent does that work? The alternative Alpine routes are also considered busy or overloaded. On some days, trucks back up from the border crossing at Kiefersfelden and Kufstein all the way to Irschenberg; A slot system, in which hauliers basically reserve a place on the motorway in advance, is supposed to improve things. The necessary preparatory work is apparently nearing completion. Further to the south, the renovation of the Lueg Bridge is threatening to create a construction site of very special proportions on the Brenner Motorway. And the railway is only a limited alternative. According to a recently presented freight transport concept from the Free State, there is “structural overload” in places on the rail network.
In any case, for the Fernpass, the considerations of exempting residents from the toll obligation are off the table, according to an ADAC statement. Because: “An unequal treatment of locals and other EU citizens would violate EU law.”