Sign confusion between Bavaria and Austria
There are nine signs that warn and inform coming from Hallein in Austria in the direction of the German border to Marktschellenberg. Drivers are confused. Is the border crossing usable or is it better to turn around?
“No Trucks” it says, for example – no trucks. There is a ban on vehicles with more than 3.5 tons. Trailers are also not allowed to drive through the narrow road. Only agricultural vehicles are exempt from this. The confusion of signs at the border crossing was recently expanded to include a specific ban on entry: “Thursday to Sunday and public holidays, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” it says there. According to the traffic signs, bicycles and “Target or source traffic from the State of Salzburg” are excluded from this.
A query to the Salzburg traffic and road law office about the meaning of the information remained unanswered. The Berchtesgadener Land district office reports that it has not been officially informed of the measure. However, the exception “destination or source traffic in the province of Salzburg” leaves a lot of leeway or “continues to allow a lot of traffic”, as the authority’s answer says.
Also at the border in the municipality of Schneizlreuth, district of Melleck, coming from Austria, these signs have recently been pointing out the traffic restrictions: »The areas after the border crossing in Melleck in the direction of Lofer often officially belong to the state of Salzburg, which is why traffic drives through there is allowed,” says the district office in Bad Reichenhall.
Only the national traffic coming from Berchtesgaden, which according to the navigation system is guided on the shortest connection via the route to Hallein on the autobahn, is affected by the ban on driving through. The district office is not aware of the reasons for the time limit – only from “Thursday to Sunday”. The German side is not entirely without signs. There are traffic signs on federal highway 305, around 3.5 kilometers before the Hallein border crossing: Vehicles over 3.5 tons are prohibited from entering, it says – vehicles with trailers are also affected. The signage has been supplemented in recent years and clarifies the restriction, according to the district office.
In addition, the information about the Tauernautobahn was added to the signpost on federal highway 305. However, there is no mention of a ban on entry. The instructions are intended to make it clear to drivers not to take the shortcut via the mini border crossing in Zill.
Due to the connecting road to Austria, the same or similar ban as on the Austrian side is not legally possible, the press spokeswoman for the district office also reports.
In the meantime, a reference to the transit restriction on the German side has also been posted in Marktschellenberg, which is much clearer.
Killian Pfeiffer