EC bargain ends the Austrian truck jams
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• A deal has been struck in Brussels on the transit of HGVs through Austria, following the huge hold-ups caused by the collapse of part of the Kufstein bridge on the MunichInnsbruck autoroute (CM 1622 August).
EC Transport Commissioner Karel van Miert called a meeting in Brussels on Monday (3 September) after the situation threatened to get out of hand when the Tyrolean and Bavarian authorities shut routes to trucks over 7.5 tonnes. The Italian authorities reacted angrily, threatening to close Italy's northern borders.
But 1,500 lorries a day will now be allowed to cross the damaged bridge from this weekend (8/9 September), increasing gradually to 3,000 a day in the new year. Vehicles with perishable goods and "quiet lorries” will initially be given priority, says a spokesman, and other route restrictions will be lifted or relaxed.