The Brenner Freeway (Austria-Italy): Mountain Highway of Controversy

Abstract

Alpine passes have historically provided a transportation and communication link between the core regions of Western and Central Europe and those of Mediterranean Europe. Due to the geographic advantages of its low elevation and the possibility of crossing the Alps on a single pass, the Brenner route has had an eminent transportation function at least since Roman times. Today, the Brenner Pass is crossed by a major railway line, a highway, and a freeway-the first one in the Alps. This paper discusses the alpine section of the Brenner Freeway between the Austrian city of Innsbruck and the Italian city of Brixen/Bressanone with its triple transportation function for local commuter traffic, for tourist traffic to the resorts of the region, and for transalpine freight and passenger traffic. It is the latter which recently has aroused a considerable amount of controversy. This great traffic artery has had major effects on the natural environment, the settlements, the economic and social structures, and the life of the people adjacent to the Freeway. Among the positive impacts of the Freeway are: the traffic diversion from the highway which runs through many villages; the enhanced mobility, accessibility, and ease of transalpine transportation; the attraction of enterprises to the region, and the creation of jobs. The major negative impacts, apart from the visual impairment of alpine valleys and the land consumption of the Freeway, are mostly seen in the production of massive amounts of traffic-generated toxic emissions and of high noise levels which have negatively affected the quality of life of the local population and have been a major deterrent for tourists. The multiple impacts of the Brenner Freeway are portrayed in a conceptual model.