Lainzer Straße to become a major construction site from 2027: Tram tracks, cycle path and utility works for years

Schedule of the combined construction works

Construction will start in November 2026 with the work by Wiener Netze. From August – according to plan – Wien Wasser will begin the pipe-laying works, which are scheduled to last until mid-March 2027. From the beginning of March 2027, the track construction works by Wiener Linien will then start, continuing until the end of 2027. From May 2027, the road surface will be repaired in parallel.

During the first phase of the water pipe works, car traffic will remain possible in both directions. Due to the narrowness of Lainzer Straße, however, the section must be completely closed to through traffic – both public and private – until the end of 2027. Residents will still be able to reach their properties. The Gloriettegasse stop will be relocated towards the city centre during the construction period. Wiener Linien will set up a rail replacement service for line 60.

Traffic management and rail replacement service

Christoph Zant, construction site coordinator for the City of Vienna, asked all road users for patience. „Bei neuen Verkehrsführungen braucht es erfahrungsgemäß eine kurze Eingewöhnungsphase, daher ersuchen wir alle Verkehrsteilnehmenden um etwas Geduld und erhöhte Aufmerksamkeit“, sagte er. Gudrun Senk, technical Managing Director of Wiener Linien, justified the approach with the company's modernisation drive: „Die Wiener Linien setzen bei ihrer Modernisierungsoffensive zunehmend auf gebündelte und damit großflächige Sanierungen. So sind die Verbesserungen für die Fahrgäste deutlich spürbarer als bei mehreren punktuellen Maßnahmen und die Anrainerinnen und Anrainer haben nur einmal eine Baustelle vor der Tür“, erklärte sie.

City Councillor Ulli Sima (SPÖ) pointed to the added value of the redesign. „Mit der Neugestaltung der Lainzer Straße schaffen wir nicht nur eine moderne und zuverlässige Öffi-Infrastruktur auf rund 1,4 Kilometer, sondern schließen auch eine wichtige Lücke im Wiener Radwegenetz“, sagte sie. The new, approximately 600-metre-long bidirectional cycle path runs at road level from Anna-Strauss-Platz to Gloriettegasse and on to Wenzgasse with the gymnasium located there. From the cycle path, the route leads on the other side into the Alois-Kraus-Promenade on the Küniglberg.

New cycle path closes gap in the network

The cycle path facility will be separated from the road by guide elements and tree pits. Residents will in future be able to reach the new cycle path via the Auhofstraße cycle street and via Dommayergasse and Eduard-Klein-Gasse to the Hietzing underground station and on to the Wien. In the following years, the cycle path is to be extended to Veitingergasse, creating a continuous cycle path connection from the Wiental to Lainz.

For pedestrians, a provisional pedestrian crossing will be set up at Lainzer Straße 30, while the crossing at Lainzer Straße 53 will be temporarily removed. Additional green spaces with a tree and a standard shrub will be created at Anna-Strauss-Platz. Near Mittermayergasse, five new green spaces with two trees and four shrubs will be created. In total, around 140 square metres of green space will be created and more than 400 square metres of area will be unsealed with bright, permeable paving stones.

Green spaces and climate-resilient square

At the Altgasse junction near the Dommayergasse stop, the city's gardeners are creating a climate-resilient square. The design is based on the encounter zone in Altgasse that was redesigned two years ago. Three new trees, five standard shrubs, deep tree pits with automatic irrigation for rainwater storage, seating and a converted drinking hydrant with high-quality spring water are planned.

Overall, the combined measures are intended to keep the burden on residents and passengers as low as possible. For the duration of the closure, a rail replacement service will be set up, the Gloriettegasse stop will be relocated and car traffic will be maintained as far as possible.

The City of Vienna asks all road users to prepare for the new traffic arrangements and to follow the signed diversions. The Hietzing district council will provide further details in due course, such as replacement stops and diversion routes.

With the completion of the works at the end of 2027, Hietzing will have modern tram infrastructure, a continuous cycle path from the Wiental to Lainz as well as additional green spaces and climate-resilient squares in the densely built-up urban area.