Tunnel Construction in Brenner Base: Progress Made, but Expansion in Bavaria Halts for Now - Expansion Underway in the Brenner Base Tunnel: Development in Bavaria
The Brenner Base Tunnel, a 55-kilometer railway connection being constructed at the border pass between Austria and Italy, is considered one of the most important transport projects in Europe. However, the tunnel's future is currently shrouded in uncertainty due to financial constraints and local opposition.
The planned tunnel opening for the Brenner Base Tunnel is expected in 2032, and it is intended to shorten journeys between Munich and Northern Italy, as well as relieve the "bottleneck" on the road route, the Brenner route, a central north-south connection over the Alps.
However, overloaded roads on the Brenner route have resulted in Tyrol allowing only a limited number of trucks to pass on certain days, causing long traffic jams in Bavaria. This truck limitation has sparked controversy in Bavaria, with local politicians and citizens' initiatives opposing an additional track for the Brenner route. The expansion of the access route in Bavaria is crucial for fully utilizing the Brenner route.
The controversy focuses on the number of kilometers that should run underground and whether the connecting point at Kirnstein should be relocated underground. The railway rejects the idea of relocating the connecting point at Kirnstein underground due to safety concerns, but there are cost increases and delays warned about if the connecting point is not relocated.
Italy has filed a lawsuit against Austria with the European Court of Justice over issues related to the Brenner Base Tunnel. Austria's Chancellor Christian Kern has expressed concerns that the tunnel alone will not solve transit problems and has called for solutions for both road and rail.
The Federal Ministry of Transport in Germany has stated that there will be too little money available for new and expansion projects in the coming years, which could directly impact the future of the Brenner Base Tunnel mega-project. There is no publicly available information from the search results about the current planning and financing status of the extension of the access route to the Brenner Base Tunnel in Bavaria.
The breakthroughs of the two main tubes of the Brenner Base Tunnel are planned for next year, and the tunnel is expected to significantly reduce travel times and improve the efficiency of freight transport. Despite the challenges, the Brenner Base Tunnel remains a crucial project for Europe's transportation infrastructure.
