Gotthard Tunnel Traffic Jam Reaches 20km
Heavy holiday traffic caused major congestion at Switzerland’s famous Gotthard Road Tunnel on Saturday, with the traffic jam at the northern entrance stretching to 20 kilometres by mid-morning.
According to the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS), drivers heading toward southern Switzerland faced delays of more than three hours and 20 minutes due to the severe congestion.
Traffic conditions worsened rapidly during the morning. In the early hours, the queue measured around 10 kilometres, but it doubled in length shortly before 10am as more vehicles entered the holiday travel routes during the Whitsun weekend.
Authorities also warned that alternative routes were experiencing heavy traffic. The A13 motorway via the San Bernardino Tunnel was already congested over a distance of approximately 17 kilometres.
The TCS advised travellers to consider diversions through the A9 Simplon route or use the Lötschberg car transport service to avoid the worst traffic conditions.
The Federal Roads Office (Astra) had already predicted exceptionally high traffic volumes during the long holiday weekend. Officials noted that the historic record at the Gotthard Tunnel remains 28 kilometres of congestion, recorded during the 2018 Whitsun period.
The Gotthard route is one of Europe’s most important north-south transport corridors and regularly experiences major congestion during peak holiday travel seasons.
