Pitztal Road briefly partially opened after mudslides – around 1,000 people affected in St. Leonhard

Mudslides had occurred in the Tyrolean valley, burying parts of the road. Cleanup operations had already been fully underway since Tuesday morning. These were also continued during the night leading into Wednesday with several excavators, as the operations command reported. Cleanup work was also to continue on Wednesday.

Cleanup operations continued through the night

An additional burden for the emergency services on Tuesday was the power situation: the electricity supply in the rear Pitztal from the Scheibrand district onward had to be temporarily interrupted. During the day, crews had begun repairing the exposed power line. In the afternoon, it was then announced that a provisional power line was being installed by the state-owned utility Tinetz.

Power supply via provisional line

This is intended to ensure that households and operations sites in the rear Pitztal are supplied with stable electricity again as quickly as possible, until the regular line is fully repaired. The provisional line is part of the ongoing damage response.

Situation meeting in the morning

A situation meeting with all experts was also scheduled for the morning. The aim was to coordinate the situation picture and possible further steps toward reopening. The State of Tyrol and the emergency organizations in the valley are pooling their resources to make the L16 and the surrounding municipal roads permanently passable again.

Residents were informed of the short time windows via loudspeaker announcements and official channels. During the designated windows, it was possible to take care of medical appointments, urgent shopping, and commuting out of the valley, among other things.

Closure can be reimposed at any time

The responsible authorities emphasized that a renewed closure is possible at any time if further mudslides occur or the safety of the road can no longer be guaranteed. The situation remained tense, it was said.

Overall, it is clear that the Pitztal region will continue to depend on damage assessment, cleanup operations, and provisional power supply in the coming days. How long the partial openings will last depends on the outcome of the situation meeting and on the weather.