A summer to remember

After almost three months of summer season, we are slowly welcoming autumn here in the Pitztal. The days are getting shorter, the first animals have returned from the alpine pastures to the valley, and while we are still enjoying the last autumn days, the start of the new winter season is already approaching on the Pitztal Glacier.

Behind us lie weeks full of sunshine and excellent hiking weather. Even at over 1,600 metres this summer was exceptionally warm. However, the high temperatures and heavy rainfall also brought some challenges to our municipality.

Mudslides in Plangeross and Bichl

Again and again there were mudslides during the summer months. At the end of July our hamlet of Plangeross was also affected: almost at the same time, mudslides came down at the beginning and end of the village and buried the road. Fortunately nobody was injured and the road was passable again after just a few hours.

The effects of a mudslide at the end of June in the hamlet of Bichl were much greater. Two houses had to be evacuated as a precaution, parts of the state road broke away and four bridges were destroyed. Suddenly the inner Pitztal could no longer be reached by road – locals and many holidaymakers were temporarily cut off from the outside world.

Pulling together

What happened next impressively showed what is possible when many people pull together.

Work went on day and night. In less than 48 hours a temporary bypass road with traffic lights was set up. As it was not passable for larger vehicles, work continued – and just one week later a new replacement road was available. Again with traffic lights, but with shorter waiting times, and the road could be used by all vehicles.

Ö3 traffic award for the Zams road maintenance depot

For this extraordinary and rapid achievement, the Zams road maintenance depot has now been awarded the Ö3-Verkehrsaward (Ö3 traffic award).

An award that makes us particularly happy here in the Pitztal. Together with the hydraulic engineering office, the construction companies involved and the many volunteers from our fire brigades, they made sure in no time that a perfectly normal drive into the inner Pitztal was possible again.

A big thank you to everyone who was on duty during those days and nights. It is moments like these that show how much teamwork there is in our valley.