Federal government responds to closed A13 Astra decides on new congestion measures at the Gotthard
At the Gotthard, heavy goods traffic is also congested due to the closed A13. Astra has now decided on new measures.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- From Wednesday, new temporary rules for HGVs will apply at the Gotthard.
- Heavy goods vehicles will be stopped ahead of time if they reach certain traffic jam lengths.
- In addition, the night-time driving ban will be shortened by one hour.
On Monday, the Federal Roads Office Astra decided on additional measures to ensure that heavy goods traffic on the A2 is handled as reliably as possible. This is due to the ongoing closure of the A13 between Lostallo and Mesocco, as reported by Astra.
Whenever possible, heavy goods vehicles should be able to travel on the A2 as usual. Trucks will be stopped at the metering points and allowed into the Gotthard road tunnel in a "metered" manner, writes Astra. If the traffic jam before the north or south portal reaches a length of 8 kilometers, heavy goods traffic will be stopped at the heavy goods traffic control centers in Ripshausen UR or Giornico TI.
If the congestion decreases again or if the waiting areas in the centers are more than 80 percent full, regular operations are resumed.
Domestic traffic is prioritized
To give the stopped trucks more time, the night-time driving ban will be shortened by one hour from Ripshausen in the southbound direction and from Giornico in the northbound direction. Trucks stopped overnight in the control centers can continue their journey at 4 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. Drivers themselves are responsible for complying with the working, driving and rest time regulations.
Astra has also decided to additionally prioritize S-traffic (domestic goods traffic) from Monday morning. Heavy goods traffic will continue to drive through the two control centers, but will be given priority there.
These regulations will apply from Wednesday, July 3, until July 16 for the time being. Until then, the A13 and the Simplon route will be back in operation. This will normalize the traffic situation on the A2 at the Gotthard again.
According to Astra, a more extensive shortening or a complete lifting of the night-time driving ban has been deliberately avoided. This would result in Switzerland becoming more attractive for heavy goods traffic, which would not be compatible with current legislation. The measures that have now been taken represent a compromise with which heavy goods traffic can be handled as reliably as possible in this situation.