Historical picture Curse or blessing? Winter closure on the Gotthard Pass in January 1962
On January 4, 1962, the Swiss Touring Club announced the closure of 15 Alpine passes. However, the road conditions on the Gotthard seemed ideal for sledging.
18.01.2026, 12:00
SDA
Since New Year's Eve, there had been heavy snowfall in many regions, wrote the NZZ on January 3, 1962, creating chaotic conditions in Switzerland.
The newspaper reported that many trees had collapsed under the immense snow load - with considerable consequences for road and rail traffic. The tree falls also caused damage and disruption to the power grid.
On the way back from the Gotthard region, many winter sports enthusiasts traveling by car were surprised by the masses of snow. Vehicles skidded and there were collisions as a result, according to the NZZ. The pass road was then closed to traffic.
Such winter closures are still common today: according to the Federal Roads Office Astra, the pass road over the Gotthard between Hospental UR and Airolo TI was closed to road and slow traffic on November 7, 2025.
Fast sledges instead of petrol engines
Economically, the canton of Uri is largely geared towards traffic, as written in the "History of the canton of Uri and Gotthard traffic up to the 19th century". With the growth in car traffic, Uri had become a transit country.
The "fast petrol engines" had put an end to the time of "leisurely diligences", wrote the Gotthard Post in 1950. Not so in January 1962: during the winter closure, sledges reclaimed the snow-covered Gotthard road. The children from Hospental in Uri must have been delighted with the snow.
A year-round, winter-safe road connection to the south would not be available until years later - with the inauguration of the Gotthard road tunnel in 1980.
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