Worsening Congestion Statistics on Swiss Highways
Swiss Motorways' Nightmare: An Unending Traffic Saga
In the year 2024 alone, motorists clocked a whopping 29.8 billion kilometres on Swiss motorways, with a staggering 25 billion kilometres attributable to passenger cars - that's a 0.6% increase from the previous year. This startling revelation is the crux of a new report published by the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) on June 17th.
Known for only accommodating about 3 percent of Switzerland's entire road network, motorways bore the brunt of over 40 percent of traffic jams in 2024. And here's the kicker - nearly 87 percent of these traffic jams were caused by traffic congestion, with barely 4 percent due to construction sites. According to ASTRA, heavily commuted areas were most affected, particularly metropolitan regions, and major transit routes.
Traveling jam-packed on Swiss motorways is nothing new for weary commuters. Zurich, the notorious A1 motorway, and the Gotthard Tunnel road are all infamous for their lobby-long traffic snarls, especially during long weekends and national holidays. The A2 motorway, connecting Basel to Chiasso, is also no stranger to bottlenecks.
But fret not! ASTRA has some tricks up its sleeves to address the traffic conundrum. The plan involves "targeted measures based on network maintenance and traffic management using intelligent systems." These "intelligent systems" already exhibit success in various locations, such as between Bern-Wankdorf and Muri since August 2024. They allow for speed adjustments, temporary opening of the hard shoulder to traffic, and ensure better utilization of available infrastructure, improved road safety, and, of course, smoother traffic flow.
ASTRA also has plans to alleviate congestion in areas where traffic volumes are increasing rapidly, such as following the opening of the third tube in the Gubrist Tunnel. This has significantly reduced the number of hours of traffic jams in the direction of Bern from around 1,400 in 2023 to a mere 150 in 2024.
But there's a storm brewing on the horizon that could potentially increase traffic in Switzerland - the expected influx of more trucks on Swiss roads due to the closure of RAlpin. This company, operating the truck-to-train service since the 1960s and transferring up to 80,000 lorries per year from road to rail on certain Swiss Alp sections, will shut its doors in 2026. As a result, more trucks are expected to take to Swiss roads, resulting in extended traffic and added pollution in mountain communities, though the exact extent of the damage remains to be seen.
Stay tuned for updates on Switzerland's 'Rolling Motorway' and the impending traffic changes in the Land of the Alps!
Insights:- ASTRA prioritizes natural hazard protection measures and safety improvements in road design, minimizing traffic disruptions due to accidents and closures caused by natural events.- ASTRA collaborates with organizations like the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) to manage high traffic volumes during peak holiday periods and suggests alternative routes to ease traffic jams.- Infrastructure projects like the Gotthard Base Tunnel have contributed to reducing traffic volumes on the Gotthard motorway section by approximately 5%, demonstrating a strategic approach to distributing traffic and easing motorway jams.
In an effort to combat the escalating traffic issues, Swiss authorities are considering financial investments in the development of intelligent systems to manage traffic more efficiently on motorways, drawing from successful examples such as the Bern-Wankdorf to Muri section. Meanwhile, the anticipated closure of RAlpin in 2026 could potentially burden the transportation industry and finance sectors, as more trucks may clog motorways and contribute to pollution in mountainous regions.
