Arlberg Road Tunnel

The Arlberg Road Tunnel with 13,972 m length of the longest road tunnel in Austria, with a rock overburden of up to almost 1000 m.

At the east portal of the tunnel there is a ca 1.1 km long gallery, which does not count for tunnel length.

Due to the single-tube tunnel, which is operated by ASFINAG, leads the Arlbergschnellstraße (S16).

With the increase of vehicular traffic in the 20th century, the pass road had become inadequate. So they decided to build a road tunnel between Langen and St. Anton, which offers a safe alternative to the winter Arlberg Pass road.

The construction cost 4 billion shillings ( about 300 million euros ). On 5 July 1974, the work, the puncture was on 9 October 1977 after which the traffic could be released on 1 December 1978 began.

A special feature of the road tunnel is that it actually consists of two tunnels. On Tyrolean side he is in fact again severed from the Rosannaschlucht before the actual massif towards Vorarlberg rises above the tube. Thus, the actual tunnel is only about 10.5 km long, up the tube in St. Anton crossed the Rosanna and leads into the next mountain to get around the place.

It is designed for 1,800 cars per hour and with four ventilation control, a shaft 736 m (the deepest of its kind in Europe), twelve fans, a continuous switchable light band, 43 TV cameras for traffic monitoring, emergency phones at a distance of 212 m and 16 stopping bays equipped. To increase safety in the tunnel eight connecting tunnels were built with 150 m to 300 m in length to the Arlberg railway tunnel in parallel leading to 2008 in the first stage. Therefore, the maximum escape route is 1700 m. The through locks separated from the driving space connecting tunnels also have still collecting spaces that offer 800 people. Originally it was planned to shorten the second stage from 2014 to the escape route distance with eight other connecting tunnels to the railway tunnel at 850 m. In the third and final stage in 2016, a parallel escape tunnel should be built with all entrances 425 m. This escape route planning, however, was revised in 2014, the inlet air cross-ventilation of the tunnel is adapted to an escape tunnel, additions to this air duct to be erected at a distance of up to 500 m. All 1700 m, the event occurs fugitives then directed from the air supply / escape tunnel into the existing escape and rescue routes, which connect the tunnel with the railway tunnel.

The use of the tunnel is special toll. A single trip by car currently costs 9.00 euros (as of August 2013).

A necessary renovation of the Arlberg road tunnel opened in 1978 is planned by the Asfinag for the period 2015-2017; while it will stand at present ( May 2013) give each full lock in the years 2015 and 2017, which are expected to last 7.5 and 6.5 months.