New Year's Eve: Here are the Traffic Restrictions

The transition from Wednesday, 31.12.2025, to Thursday, 01.01.2026, traditionally brings closures due to New Year's Eve runs and New Year's Eve events, according to ARBÖ. This year, longer delays in entry and exit are also expected.

Closures due to New Year's Eve Run in Vienna

On 31.12.2025, the 49th New Year's Eve Run will take place in Vienna on the Ringstraße and Franz-Josefs-Kai. The run on the 5.35-kilometer-long route starts, as in previous years, at 11:00 AM and lasts until about 12:30 PM. From 10:00 AM, the Ring is expected to be completely closed between Operngasse and Schottengasse. From 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM, there will be sectional closures along the running route. Police and emergency services will manage the traffic.

Alternative routes are available via Vordere Zollamtsstraße, Am Stadtpark, Am Heumarkt, Lothringer Straße, Karlsplatz, as well as via the Zweierlinie. It is advisable to take a wide detour via the Gürtel or via the Obere and Untere Donaustraße or Handelskai.

"The Wiener Linien are also affected by the New Year's Eve Run. Tram lines D, 1, 2, and 71 will be shortened or rerouted between 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM. The bus line 74A will only operate between St. Marx and Landstraße," according to the ARBÖ information service.

New Year's Eve Runs also in the Federal States

New Year's Eve runs also take place in the state capitals of Upper Austria, Styria, and Tyrol, causing temporary traffic measures. In Linz, the "Hypo OÖ New Year's Eve Run" takes place in the city center. The route, up to six kilometers long, leads through areas such as Hauptplatz and Taubenmarkt, as well as adjacent streets, which will be temporarily closed. The Bambini Run starts at 2:00 PM, the main run at 3:00 PM, with the "Minis" and "Kids" events taking place in between. The main run ends around 4:00 PM. In addition to road closures, ARBÖ also expects restrictions on the Linz AG lines.

In Graz, the New Year's Eve is also kicked off in a sporty manner. The New Year's Eve run with children's and main races starts at 1:00 PM in the area of Mariahilferplatz at the level of Ökonomiegasse and leads north to Kalvarienberggürtel, then to the other side of the Mur via the bike path heading south, over the Erzherzog-Johann-Bridge and back to Mariahilferplatz.

In Innsbruck, a New Year's Eve run also "takes the stage". The route of the 23rd IKB New Year's Eve run starts at 3:30 PM from the starting point at the level of the House of Music, covering 1.9 kilometers through the city center, including Burggraben, Herrengasse, Herzog-Otto-Straße, and Rennweg, to the finish line in front of the Hofburg. The affected streets will be temporarily closed, and longer delays are possible according to ARBÖ.

New Year's Eve Celebrations and Paths Bring Closures and Additional Restrictions

From the afternoon and especially in the evening, New Year's Eve paths, stage programs, and celebrations cause closures and significant traffic restrictions in the federal and state capitals. In Vienna, the largest event takes place with the New Year's Eve path. The path stretches from Rathausplatz to the New Market and offers seven stages. As there is a driving ban in the event area, closures on the Ringstraße in the Rathausplatz area are likely from around 2:00 PM to about 4:00 AM. The Stephansplatz subway station will be closed from about 9:00 PM for safety reasons.

In Graz, the "New Year's Eve Spectacle" takes place at the main square, in Innsbruck the "Mountain New Year's Eve" takes the stage in front of the Hofburg. The official New Year's Eve celebrations in Linz take place at the main square and around the stage at the Old Market. In Salzburg, the new year is celebrated around the cathedral. In Eisenstadt, the farewell to 2025 is celebrated, among other places, at the Schlossplatz in front of Esterházy Palace. In St. Pölten, the year 2026 is celebrated at Rathausplatz, which also marks "40 years as state capital". In Bregenz and Klagenfurt, no official New Year's Eve celebrations are planned.

"In Vienna, the tram lines D, 1, 2, and 71 will be rerouted or shortened due to the New Year's Eve path from about 6:30 PM to about 2:00 AM. There are also restrictions on the lines of Graz Holding, Linz AG, Innsbruck Transport Services, and in the city of Salzburg. Nevertheless, our advice is to best travel to the New Year's Eve events by public transport," says the ARBÖ information service.

(Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.