11 Aug
Road freight restrictions imposed by Tyrol have cost Italian companies an estimated €1.8 billion over the past five years, Uniontrasporti reports. Presented in Trento on 23 July, the analysis warns of €370 million in annual losses due to reduced capacity along the Austrian stretch of the Brenner corridor—down by 50%—and further disruptions from maintenance on the Lueg bridge. The Brenner is vital to both trade and tourism: over 29% of Italy’s transalpine trade, worth €550 billion annually, passes here, rising to 32% for road freight alone. In 2024, 2.37 million heavy trucks and 11.55 million cars crossed the border, many linked to tourism in Trentino–Alto Adige.
The region’s White Paper lists urgent infrastructure needs: completing the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) by 2032, upgrading southern rail access from Verona to Fortezza, enhancing the Bolzano–Merano line, resolving the A22 motorway concession, and expanding Trento’s freight terminal. While Bolzano scores slightly above the national average for infrastructure, Trento lags behind. Uniontrasporti also flags systemic weaknesses across Alpine crossings, through which 176 million tonnes of goods transit annually, calling for sustainable, efficient logistics solutions.
Despite the BBT’s 2032 target, northern access routes face major delays. Austria’s ÖBB has pushed the Lower Inn Valley upgrade to 2039, and Germany’s route choice remains politically stalled. Meanwhile, Austria, Bavaria, and Italy are reconsidering a digital truck slot booking system to manage congestion. While some see it as pragmatic, others fear hidden quotas or increased traffic. A trilateral meeting in September may lead to an EU-level decision in December.
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source: trans.info
