Severe traffic congestion impacted Swiss roadways this Saturday, particularly around the Gotthard and San Bernardino tunnels, as travelers embarked on journeys for the Pentecost weekend. The delays led to significant wait times for motorists.

The northern entrance to the Gotthard tunnel,between Erstfeld and Göschenen in the canton of uri,experienced a 20-kilometer traffic jam Saturday morning. According to the Swiss Touring Club (TCS), this bottleneck resulted in approximately three and a half hours of delay for drivers.The Col du Gothard remained open, but the tunnel itself has faced repeated closures.

Traffic backed up 17 kilometers by 7 a.m., eventually peaking at 20 kilometers before fluctuating between 17 and 18 kilometers throughout the afternoon. Southbound traffic on the A2 motorway in the canton of Lucerne and Ticino also experienced temporary blockages, though not as severe as those at the Gotthard. Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction faced similar disruptions earlier in the day. The longest Gotthard traffic jam recorded during Pentecost occurred in 1999 and 2018, stretching 28 kilometers.

A13 San Bernardino Tunnel choice route also affected

The A13 route to the San Bernardino tunnel, an alternative to the Gotthard, also suffered from heavy traffic. Between the Sarganserland bifurcation and Sufers GR, travelers faced delays until 2:30 p.m. The TCS advised drivers to remain on the A13 and suggested using car transport via the Lötschberg.

The Gothard tunnel has been closed several times,said the Swiss Touring Club (TCS) on it’s website.

In related news, the Route du Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard, connecting valais and Italy at 2,476 meters above sea level, reopened on Saturday. Snow removal operations on the Italian side of the Alpine pass commenced in mid-April.