by InTrieste
Italian authorities will temporarily reopen the Monte Croce Carnico mountain pass, a key Alpine crossing between the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and Austria, during the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, easing travel for local communities and visitors while major infrastructure work continues.
The reopening, announced on Tuesday by Cristina Amirante, the regional councillor for infrastructure and territorial planning, will allow traffic on the pass from Dec. 20, 2025, through Jan. 11, 2026. The route will be open only to vehicles with a gross weight of no more than 3.5 metric tons; bicycles and motorcycles will not be permitted.
The decision follows a technical inspection carried out on Dec. 15 along State Road 52 bis. After reviewing the progress of construction and safety conditions, Anas, Italy’s state-owned road operator, authorized the temporary resumption of traffic. Officials said monitoring systems installed in the area have not detected critical issues and confirmed steady progress on the extension of an artificial tunnel designed to improve long-term safety along the route.
Traffic during the reopening will move through an active construction zone. Vehicles will travel on a single carriageway with a usable width of about 19 feet, and the speed limit will be set at 30 kilometers per hour, roughly 19 miles per hour. Additional safety measures will be in place, including concrete barriers and enhanced vertical signage.
Winter road maintenance, including snow removal, will be guaranteed throughout the period, in accordance with an emergency management and monitoring plan developed in coordination with Anas.
Ms. Amirante described the temporary reopening as a measure aimed at balancing mobility needs with safety concerns. In a statement, she said it reflected “attention to local communities, tourism and cross-border connections,” while respecting the constraints imposed by ongoing construction.
The pass is expected to close again on Jan. 12, 2026, remaining shut until the end of March to allow crews to complete elevated structural works related to the tunnel extension. The construction company will also operate on weekends in an effort to shorten the overall closure. During later finishing phases, traffic is expected to resume intermittently, regulated by short sections of alternating one-way travel.
The Monte Croce Carnico pass has long been considered strategically important for the Alpine region, serving both local traffic and cross-border movement between northeastern Italy and the Austrian region of Carinthia. Regional officials emphasized that the project is part of a broader framework of institutional cooperation, involving not only Anas but also Austrian authorities.
The goal, Ms. Amirante said, is to ensure that the pass can ultimately offer “reliable and safe connections” along one of the region’s most significant transalpine routes.
