Switzerland
Crack in tunnel ceiling: Gotthard road tunnel closed
The Gotthard Tunnel north portal on the Gotthard Motorway A2. Now there is said to be a crack in the tunnel ceiling.
© Urs Flueeler/KEYSTONE/dpa
A crack was discovered in the tunnel ceiling in the Gotthard road tunnel. The passage has been closed since Sunday afternoon. Motorists reported hours of traffic jams.
A crack in the tunnel ceiling has been discovered in the Gotthard road tunnel in Switzerland. The connection between central Switzerland and the southern canton of Ticino will remain closed to traffic until further notice, the Federal Roads Office (Astra) announced on Monday. Near the northern tunnel portal, concrete parts came loose and fell onto the road. But no one was harmed. The cause initially remained unknown.
The tunnel is one of the main transport connections through the Alps, including for traffic from Germany to Italy. The closure began on Sunday afternoon. Motorists reported hours of traffic jams.
Gotthard Road Tunnel: 25 meter long crack discovered in the tunnel ceiling
A 25-meter-long crack was discovered in a false ceiling. “The duration of the closure is not yet known,” the office said. Traffic will be rerouted via the Gotthard Pass or the San Bernardino route. This will probably extend the journey by around an hour.
If the Gotthard closure lasts longer, drivers will also have to pay attention to night-time closures in the San Bernardino Tunnel, said an ADAC spokesman. The route was not passable 17 times in October due to maintenance and renovation work between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in both directions. The Gotthard Pass is not necessarily recommended as a diversion route, especially with camping trailers.
The Gotthard railway tunnel is also currently closed to passenger traffic following the derailment of a freight train in August. Trains are rerouted via a pass route. This also extends this journey by about an hour.