The closure of the Brenner motorway in the Austrian province of Tyrol has been lifted following a demonstration against excessive congestion on the Alpine pass.
“All lanes are open again,” a spokesman for the motorway operator Asfinag told dpa on Saturday evening.
The Brenner Pass on the border between Austria and Italy had been blocked since the morning due to a protest against heavy traffic.
The motorway was also closed on the Italian side during the day because of the demonstration.
Heading north, the Italian section between Sterzing and Brenner was also reopened to light traffic. The reopening to lorries was scheduled for 8 pm (1800 GMT).
The Brenner route is the most important road link across the Alps. Authorities and motoring organizations had feared traffic chaos due to the closure and the Whitsun holidays in Germany.
However, there were no traffic jams in Tyrol or on alternative routes for the time being.
The Austrian motoring organization ÖAMTC expects, however, that travellers will set off on their postponed journeys from Saturday evening. Heavy traffic is expected on Sunday in particular.
The authorities in Tyrol gave a positive preliminary assessment of the day of demonstrations and blockades. According to the police, a total of 219 lorries were turned back at the closed transit route.
