Road traffic Excavation of the Morschach tunnel for the new Axenstrasse started
Excavation work for the Morschach Tunnel began on Wednesday in Ingenbohl with the first blasting. The project is part of the new Axenstrasse, which the cantons of Schwyz and Uri are building on behalf of the federal government.
06.05.2026, 13:43
SDA
Around 200 guests attended the start of the work on Wednesday, as the State Chancellery reported in a press release on Wednesday. The Schwyz Olympic champion in sport shooting, Nina Christen, triggered the first official blasting. This marked the start of the actual excavation work on the 2.9-kilometre-long Morschach Tunnel between Ingenbohl and Ort.
Alongside the 4.4-kilometre-long Sisikon Tunnel between Ort and the Gumpisch area in Flüelen, the Morschach Tunnel is one of the two core sections of the new Axenstrasse. Both tunnels are being built by drill and blast. Construction of the Morschach Tunnel is expected to take just over two years.
According to Uri's Director of Construction Hermann Epp (center), the Axenstrasse is a "regional lifeline" and a "nationally relevant link for Switzerland". André Rüegsegger (SVP), Director of Construction in Schwyz, was also delighted. The Morschach Tunnel is the "only major road tunnel that is likely to be built in the Schwyz valley basin in the next 20 to 30 years", he was quoted as saying in the press release.
Traffic is expected to be able to use the new Axenstrasse from 2033. The federal government, Uri and Schwyz want to use the road to make the north-south axis safer and more reliable. At the same time, the village of Sisikon in Uri is to be relieved of through traffic.
The total cost of the project is around 1.2 billion Swiss francs. The majority of this will be borne by the federal government.
