Traffic warning: How to avoid the jams on Swiss roads this Christmas

“During the Christmas and New Year holidays, significant disruptions as well as long traffic jams should be expected, mainly to the ski areas,” the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) said in its press release on Thursday.

It therefore advises all motorists, regardless of their final destination, to map their itinerary to avoid, whenever possible, the busiest roads.

Heaviest traffic is expected on the A1, A2, A3, A9 and A13 motorways, particularly in the regions of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Lugano, FEDRO said.

The Gotthard tunnel, on the San Bernardino road between Sargans and Rothenbrunnen, as well as on the sections towards the Bernese Oberland and Valais, will be congested as well.

Where can you expect the heaviest traffic?

These roads will be most impacted:

Motorways

A1, Zurich metropolitan area
A1, Härkingen – Wangen a. HAS.
A1/A6, Bern region
A1, Lausanne region
A2, Basel
A2/A14, Lucerne region (to Stans-Nord)
A2, Amsteg – Faido (Gothard road tunnel)
A3, Walenstadt – Reichenburg
A8, Interlaken – Spiez
A8, Sarnen – Lopper interchange
A13, Sarganserland – Rothenbrunnen
A28, Landquart – Klosters

Main roads

Spiez – Kandersteg (outward journeys)
Gampel – Goppenstein (return trips)
Brunnen – Flüelen (Axenstrasse)
Göschenen – Andermatt
Raron – Brig
Bellinzona – Locarno
Various main roads in the Bernese Oberland, Graubünden and the Valais side valleys

Also:

At the time of departures, expect waiting times between 8 am and 4 pm at the transfer stations Furka (in Realp), Lötschberg (in Kandersteg) and Vereina (in Klosters-Selfranga).

When returning, you should also expect congestion between 11 am and 6 pm at the Furka (in Oberwald), Lötschberg (in Goppenstein), and Vereina (in Lavin-Sagliains) stations.

Don’t stray off the motorways / main roads

Even in case of heavy traffic and bottlenecks, FEDRO is urging motorists not to make detours onto local roads.

“This phenomenon weighs on the inhabitants of localities which border national roads and paralyses traffic in the regions concerned,” FEDRO said.

As a result, private and public transport “on cantonal and municipal roads are disrupted, and the risk of accidents increases. It is therefore important that travellers stay on the highway even in traffic jams, if only out of respect for the local population.”