Switzerland’s notorious Gotthard road tunnel once again became the country’s biggest holiday bottleneck on 2 April, with queues stretching up to 15 kilometres and waiting times exceeding two-and-a-half hours at the peak of the Easter getaway. The Touring Club of Switzerland (TCS) issued continuous alerts, urging motorists to leave before dawn, detour via the San Bernardino route or use car-train shuttles through the Lötschberg and Simplon tunnels. Cantonal authorities in Uri activated traffic-management measures, including lane controls and temporary closures of feeder roads, to prevent gridlock in local villages. From 4 to 7 April, the Amsteg–Wassen mountain road will be fully closed in the afternoons because of an elevated avalanche risk, further limiting options for drivers. SBB responded by adding 27 extra long-distance trains—equivalent to more than 70,000 seats—between German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. Hotels in Lugano and Locarno reported occupancy rates nearing 70 percent, fuelled partly by travellers avoiding air routes affected by Middle-East diversions. Although the Gotthard jams are a familiar Easter ritual, this year’s congestion is aggravated by favourable weather forecasts and pent-up demand after a winter of rail engineering works. For cross-border commuters and logistics operators moving goods between Germany, Switzerland and Italy, the delays translate into late deliveries and higher driver costs. Mobility managers should monitor live TCS feeds and consider rerouting freight via the Lötschberg–Simplon corridor or using nighttime slots. Travellers heading to Italy by air may also find ticket prices elevated as many Swiss opt for flights from Milan rather than braving the tunnel.
Source: Blue News
